Harmony
by Evalea
Summary: Hoshiko Delany is a seventeen year old international pop sensation. Having to return to Japan she chooses to go to Ouran High School to finish out her schooling and to be with her best friend Haruhi. Not expecting to, she gets caught up in the shenanigans of the Host Club as well as feelings for an old sparring partner, Takashi Morinozuka. Rated M for some adultness.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright OHSHC Lets do this! Be sure to let me know what you guys think! It really makes me happy to hear what you guys feel when reading these and makes me want to keep going :)**

As she walked down the hallway of Ouran Academy she looked at all the different rooms that they had, she had already passed by two music rooms that were full of people and she didn't want to risk showing her face yet, just in case someone noticed her. Doubting that searching the school for her best friend, one she hadn't seen in four years since she had moved to America with her father, would provide any results she figured that just learning the layout of the new school would be a better use of her time since she had finally been able to slip away from her escort. The school was bigger than she imagined it would be, but then again she hadn't gone to an actual school since she was thirteen, she didn't quite know what to expect. She stopped in front of a door that was labeled Music Room #3 and put her ear to the door, not hearing anything and decided to check it out, hoping that if there were people in there, it wouldn't be many and that hopefully they wouldn't know who she was.

When she opened the door there was a bright light from the windows across from the door and she was blinded for a moment. Before her eyes adjusted she heard a rather monotone voice say, "Ah it appears we have a new guest, even if it is after hours. Welcome to the Host Club, miss."

"Host Club? This is a music room." She said blinking a few times.

Haruhi was ending her conversation about the dancing at the party with Tamaki when she heard that voice, she would know it anywhere, when she turned she saw a face that she hadn't seen in years, "Shiko?"

"Ruhi?!" Her face lit up when she saw her best friend, neither of them realized that their legs had started moving until they were standing in the middle of the room with their arms wrapped around each other. Hoshiko held her friend tight, not expecting to have found her this quick, but when her hand felt brushed up against the girls hair she started laughing and held her friend at an arms-length, "Remind me to give that kid who got gum in your hair a high five! I didn't realize that he did this much of a number on you!"

"Oh yeah! Well you look like you couldn't fit into any of your old jerseys anymore." Haruhi motioned towards her chest, since that's where her head landed on her friend.

"Yeah, looks like I have a lot more American in me than just my hair color." She couldn't help but laugh.

"Hoshi-chan!" Hoshiko heard before she was tackled to the ground by a small boy and when she looked at his face she was shocked.

"Haninozuka!?" Her jaw dropped and she tried to complement the seventeen year old boy, "You…uh… you look like you've grown some?"

"Mitsukuni, it isn't nice to topple people over." A tall figure came and picked the little boy up and placed him on his shoulder.

"But Takashi, you remember Hoshiko Delany!" Hunny said pointing to her.

"Takashi…Morinozuka?" Her mind couldn't comprehend, there is no way that the little boy that she used to practice kendo with was now over six feet tall and very handsome. When he nodded she almost hit the floor realizing that it was him, "You have definitely grown up."

"You know these two Shiko?" Haruhi asked really confused.

"That's not as surprising as how you know her Haruhi, being a commoner and all." Kyoya said looking at his laptop.

"Wait are you…" Tamaki's eyes grew wide looking at her.

"Hoshiko Delany!" The twins yelled seeing her from the side.

"Well at least I know half of the people that know me so far. Haruhi and I are childhood friends, best friends in fact." Hoshiko sighed.

Haruhi pulled her over to a couch while Hunny pushed her from behind, pulling Takashi behind him. Haruhi sat right next to her, "So what are you doing at Ouran?"

"Don't you know?" Kyoya sat down across from them with Tamaki and the Twins fawning behind the couch looking at her, "She is the Academys newest student."

"I wanted to surprise you!" She smiled at Haruhi.

"But you don't even need to finish school here, what about your music?" Haruhi was concerned her friend did it to keep an eye on her.

"Well I had to come back to Japan anyways since my mother lives here and my father is… And I made an announcement I wanted to finish school at an actual school so that I could have some normality to my life and when my mom sent me a list of places I was allowed to go I remembered that you went here so I applied to be here with you, so I figured that I would finish my last year here."

"Shiko…" Haruhi's eyes were sad, she knew that her friend's father had passed away more unexpectedly than her mother had and that her friends life had been established in America and for her to have to leave like that when she was a year away from being a legal adult must have been hard for her.

"None of that Haruhi! I might not be all that happy to be back in Japan, but that's mostly because of my mother, I still have my recording contract and I get to be back with you." She said pulling Haruhi into her arms and the girl couldn't help but laugh at her.

"What's so bad about your mom Hoshi-chan?" Hunny asked from the other side of her.

"Her mother is Moriko Miyamoto. She comes from a major real-estate family who once owned many prominent areas in Japan until an earthquake destroyed the largest area they owned and fixing it sent them in to bankruptcy and thus led to the marriage of her parents." Kyoya spoke still looking at his laptop.

"Kyoya Ootori, third child to the Ootori family, has yet to be given an inheritance, and has yet to impress his father by achieving nothing more than his two older brothers have and will more than likely end up working for one if not both of his brothers after he graduates from college." She spoke looking up at the ceiling and everyone in the rooms eyes widened that she knew not only that much, but that she said it. Hoshiko looked back at Kyoya with a smile, he still wore a shocked face, the only time really that Haruhi had seen him with anything more than a slight smile, "You should be prepared for someone to know just as much as you do when you decide to talk about their family like yours is better, especially when the person you are talking to has already made it farther in the world than you have."

There was an awkward silence and she sighed with a laugh, "I'm only joking of course, I'm honestly surprised you even had to look that up Ootori, I figured that you would have known about my arrival days ago. I hope you took no offense to my little outburst just then just trying to prepare you for the cut throat world that you are attempting to get a foothold in, always be prepared that your opponent knows just as much if not more than you. I'm used to people knowing a lot about me so I honestly don't care."

"It apparently was kept well under wraps." He smiled back at her, "And I appreciate the challenge, now I know I will have to be on my toes with you Ms. Delany."

"Hoshiko is fine, no need for formalities, you all are clearly friends," Her head turned to Haruhi, "And why are you dressed like a boy in what I can only assume a Host Club is."

Haruhi explained to her what had happened and she couldn't help but laugh multiple times throughout the story until she remembered that Hunny was there and she went cold, "Haninozuka you're in a club for entertaining school girls?"

"Yeah! I'm the boy Lolita!" He grinned at her and she had to admit that she could see how girls would swoon about how adorable he was, Takashi she didn't even have to ask about she was pretty sure he could just stand there and girls would swoon.

Takashi hadn't seen her in four years and he had to admit her time away had changed her, she would have never said anything like that to Kyoya, or anyone before she left. She even held herself differently. He knew that she had never really been into girly things but seeing her in boots, shorts and a sleeveless vest proved how much she had changed from the girl that used to show up to the dojo in a sweatshirt and jeans. At least she still wore her hair the same for the most part, in a high ponytail just barley off center.

"So how do you know them?" Haruhi finally asked again.

"Well not long after we met my dad enrolled me in Kendo." She smiled at her friend.

"BUT YOU'RE SUCH A CLUTZ!" Haruhi yelled impossibly shocked by not knowing this about her friend and couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah I know…" Hoshiko mumbled, "But anyways, it was the same dojo that Morinozuka went to and Haninozuka was there a lot to."

"How did I not know this about you?! And that your family was rich, I mean I knew you were well off but I didn't know you were this rich!" Haruhi motioned to the school around them.

"My dad wanted me to be normal as a kid, to have friends, scrape my knees, get scars. He wanted me to know what it was like to have fun before I got old enough to realize what it was that I was going to have to do when I an adult. He knew that I could be given whatever life I wanted once I had grown up so he wanted me to realize what it is that I wanted on my own, and to start working for it before it could be given to me. So I grew up in a decent house with him while my mother stayed at one of her estates and I didn't even know that we were this well off until they got divorced and I went to America with him." She shrugged looking at her lap.

"Well you realized your dreams pretty young and he couldn't stop you apparently." Haruhi took her friends hand, feeling bad that she had gotten mad like that, "You have to have been at the top of the charts at least twice this last year."

"Three times but that was the very last week." She smiled at her friend pretending that it was a big deal but Haruhi knew she didn't really care about her numbers.

"So you make music?" Takashi asked and she was shocked by how deep his voice had gotten, he had just barely hit puberty when she had left.

"HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO SHE IS!?" Tamaki yelled finally busting from behind the couch.

"That took him longer than I expected." Haruhi sighed.

"She only has the most beautiful voice in the world! It doesn't matter what she sings it sounds like the voice of an angel!" He swooned.

"Yeah! Our mom uses your music all the time for her shows." The twins said.

Hoshiko got embarrassed at their admiration and in the silence they heard a man yelling her name down the hallway and Haruhi noticed that she had frozen.

"Who is that Shiko?" She had barely finished when her mouth was covered by her friends hand and she was told to be quiet.

"Look this is music room, she's probably in there." A man said before the door opened and her face fell in defeat. When the two men saw her they both looked at her sternly, "Ms. Delany! We've been looking everywhere for you! You said you were going to the bathroom."

"I did, and then I decided to look around." She looked at them not standing.

"You know you aren't supposed to do that, your mother-" The other man started.

"My mother isn't here and I told you that I already have one shadow that's permanently attached to me, I don't need two more. My security detail in America wasn't even as bad as you two." She sighed and waved them off.

"Well your mother is our employer miss, so we do what she says and that is to have eyes on you at all times." The first guard said.

Hoshiko moved faster than Haruhi had ever seen her move before, "No, my mother gets all of her money from me therefore I pay you and when I say lay off following me around, that is a direct order from your employer. Do you understand?!"

The two men seemed scared by the young girl and they nodded their heads, "Good! Now wait outside!"

"The dean wanted to speak with you though." One of them cowered before closing the door.

"Give me five minutes." She sighed before shutting the door all the way.

"That was pretty bad, I've never seen you snap like that before." Haruhi stood walking over to her and was surprised when her friend laid her head on her shoulder.

"They've been at my side nonstop since I left America. My mother wants to control me now even though she isn't here to do it herself and sometimes I have to get like that with them to make them leave me alone and I hate it." She felt a hand take hers and looked down to see Hunny.

"Don't worry Hoshi-chan! We'll make sure that they leave you alone!" The boy smiled at her.

Takashi nodded his head, "We'll inform your mother that you go to school with us so she will have less to worry about since she'll at least remember our family names."

"You would do that for me?" She looked at the two of them, she hadn't seen them in years, and they had never really been that close other than sparring partners and a few dinner parties.

"Of course! You're Haru-chans friend and you're our friend!" Hunny grinned at her.

"Plus it is the Host's Club job to ensure the happiness of their guests." Kyoya said standing up, "And even though you haven't become a guest yet you walked in the door. Isn't that right Tamaki."

"Of course Princess." He said taking her cheek in his hand, "We will make sure that you are always protected from your fans."

Hoshiko quickly moved out of his reach and instinctively moved behind the closest and largest thing she could, which just so happened to be Takashi, "I think I might need to be protected more from you than my fans. Plus they aren't why my mother hired guards."

"Her reasoning doesn't matter." Hunny looked at her from Takashis other side.

"We will make sure she doesn't have them with you anymore." Takashi turned and looked at her.

"Well I should probably go see the Dean… Haruhi how long are you going to be here?" She turned and looked at the girl.

"For a bit, wanna walk home together?" Haruhi smiled at her, then remembered, "Oh, wait you probably don't live in the same area as me any more do you?"

"That doesn't matter! We can make it just like old times!" Hoshiko smiled before leaving the room.

"She really hasn't changed a bit." Haruhi smiled to herself.

"Really?" Takashi spoke without thinking, she seemed very different than the girl he knew had been shy and someone soft spoken but he had always felt like that style had never suited her and that now she had blossomed into the woman that she was always meant to be, even if she had never really thought of it herself.

Haruhi couldn't help but notice the small smile that was on Takashis lips as he looked at the door she had just walked out of, she couldn't help but wonder how much time the two of them had used to spend together.

* * *

As they got on the train to go back to Haruhis home she realized something, "Hey Shiko? You know that the girls at the school have to wear dresses right?"

"Yeah well you don't." She smirked over at her friend.

"That's different, they all think I'm a boy."

She laughed, "I know, but I already talked to admissions about it and they said that if I did a free concert for the student body three times this year then I didn't have to wear one as long as what I wore was tasteful. Something about keeping morale up or something like that."

"Well that was nice of them." Haruhi groaned.

"Yeah the first one is at the end of this week, apparently there's a party or something going on and they figured it would just fit better than having to do all of the set up and prep twice."

"Oh you mean the party the Host Club is throwing?"

"I guess." She shrugged.

"So how well did you and Mori-senpai know each other? I don't think I'd ever heard him say that much in one sitting before." Haruhi looked at her as they stepped off the train and was amazed at how well she could ignore the whispers and glances at the people they passed that recognized her. Her body guards had been given the instruction to stay at least 30 feet away from them while they were walking.

"Well we were in Kendo together for about six years. We were paired together a lot because we're the same age. Because of that his parents and my father, occasionally my mother and Haninozukas family, would have dinner parties together. I guess with how rich they were it should have tipped me off that my father was hiding something from me." She sighed and her cellphone went off and she answered it, "Hello Mother. I'm with Haruhi a friend from before I moved. Yes I saw them at the school today. *sigh* Yes mother they are perfectly capable of making sure that I'm taken care of. Thank you so much."

She hung up the phone and looked at Haruhi, "Well Morinozuka and Haninozuka weren't joking when they said that they would be sure to talk to my mother, tomorrow I won't have a security detail."

"Wow, from what I understand about your mother I would have thought it would have taken more than that."

"She's probably thinking of a possible marriage arrangement. It's almost all she's spoken to me about since my trip back has been in the works. 'Finding me a reputable Japanese husband that will ensure that honor remains attached to her name' as she says." She said with a finger pointed up and a snobbish accent and Haruhi couldn't help but laugh at her friend.

"Were here. Wanna have some tea?"

"Oh tea sounds amazing!" Hoshiko got excited, only having imported rich tea for the past few years.

"It's not fancy or anything." Haruhi picked on her.

"I like the tea that we grew up on!" She stuck her tongue out as they went up the stairs to Haruhis apartment.

* * *

The next day she was sitting there watching Haruhi practice the waltz while shading around the border of her paper, no words would come to her. Takashi sat down next to her after he'd finished swinging Hunny around, "What are you working on?"

"Nothing apparently, I can't think of any words to a song." She set the pen down on the paper and watched it roll.

"You write them yourself?" He looked at her from the side.

"Yeah, I try to do as much of it myself as I can. It's art, and the more of it I do, the more proud of it I am." She smiled softly at the outline of a music symbol she had drawn.

"Perhaps you need some tea." He stood and left her side returning moments later with a cup.

"Thank you." She said taking a sip, it was really good, it had just enough mint in it.

"Mint is still your favorite right? I remember you adding some to your tea every time you were over for dinner." He stated leaning back in the seat.

"Yes." She took another sip not knowing that he had ever paid that much attention to her, "Oh and thank you for whatever you did to convince my mother to remove my security detail."

"It was nothing, we're in the same class and Father told her that Mitsukuni and I would make sure you made it home safe every day, but we'll only do that if you want us to." He looked over at her.

"I appreciate it thank you. I don't deserve this when I've never done anything to help you."

"You gave me a good sparing match every day, that's all I needed." He gave her a small smile and she returned it with a much larger one.

They were distracted by the talk of the girl who had just left and when she heard that she and the boy who had left right before her had been engaged by their parents her tea cup clipped out of her hand without her knowing it. Only when it shattered did she realize what had happened. Haruhi turned her head to look at her and saw that her friends face was pale, "Shiko, you okay?"

She snapped out of it, "Yes! I should find a broom!"

Immediately she jumped up and began looking for the store room and went inside to find a broom.

"I've never seen her act like that before." Haruhi muttered.

"I'm sure the talk of arranged marriages is uncomfortable for her at the moment." Kyoya said pushing his glasses up his face.

Haruhi remembered what she had said the day before about her mother trying to find her a husband and she wondered if that's what had bothered her. When she came back out she got down on her knees and began sweeping up the broken pieces. The twins came up to her, "You don't have to do that, Haruhi can."

She didn't even look at Haruhi but the girls face had fallen, used to this kind of treatment, but instead looked up at the two boys, "Why would I do that? I made the mess."

"Yeah, but-" Kaoru began but was cut off by her lifting a hand up to silence him.

"I made the mess therefore I should clean it up, it just good manners." She smiled at them.

"How is it she can look and be so sweet yet make us feel like horrible people at the same time?" Hikaru said while they both cringed.

"She has a special talent for that, and because you are horrible people." Haruhi handing her a rag to wipe up the tea that had spilt.

When she was done cleaning she stood up and saw Kyoya smiling at her and she held up a hand to stop him, "I have that same exact cup at home and will bring it as a replacement, no need to worry or charge me."

Kyoya smiled at her, "I see you have me figured out."

"This will make for an interesting game of chess." She sat back down, picked up her pen and paper, crossed her legs and hoped for words to come to her. Without even asking she saw Takashi bring her another cup of tea and she couldn't help but smile at his gesture.

* * *

The party had started and instead of a dress she was wearing a skirt with a nice spaghetti strap top. She was standing by the stairs where Haruhi was and when her friend came down the stairs she was smiling, "I see you still managed to avoid wearing a dress."

"Of course, I have to perform in a little bit and this will be easier to deal with." She said before having her arm grabbed by Hunny.

"Let's dance Hoshi-chan!"

She couldn't help but laugh, "Okay!"

"Mitsukuni." Takashi placed a hand on the boys shoulder, "Go easy on her."

"Alright! I'll make sure she's intact for you!" Hunny smiled and she couldn't help but be worried, remembering how Takashi had danced with the boy before.

Once the first song was over her shoulders only slightly hurt and Takashi came up to her, "You okay?"

"Yeah, nothing I've never felt before. You used to tire me out to where I couldn't move." She smiled at him and then saw him extend his hand.

"The plan will be commencing soon, so we will both be required to leave." He stated as his reason for asking her and she accepted his hand.

When he wrapped his arms around her as the music started and she suddenly remembered how strong he was, they had never danced before so she never knew how muscular his arms were, they felt more so than they looked. They didn't talk and honestly she didn't know what to say as they danced, it seems like he was the one starting the conversations even though he was the quiet one.

Once the plan commenced she headed for the changing room to get ready for her performance. She knew she had to perform at least six songs but Tamaki had told her to make the first one romantic, which she could do. Takashi and Hunny escorted her to the stage and since she couldn't see anything looked to them for her signal. She could hear Tamaki talking and once it was given she began playing the piano that was in front of her.

For this song she was only given a small background light to be able to see the keys and provided what she hoped was a good song for the couple to dance too. Haruhi was amazed when she started singing, she was even better than when they were growing up, better than in her recordings. Hunny was swooning from the side of the stage that had been made, "Takashi! She's so good!"

"Yes, she is." He spoke in awe, he had never heard her sing before, he was amazed that her voice was so beautiful, what Tamaki had said about the voice of an angel didn't even compare. No wonder she was only seventeen and a famous singer.

Her song ended right as the twins said it was time to announce the queen of the ball. She couldn't help but laugh as she watched Haruhi accidentally kiss the girl on the lips instead of the cheek, it would be great blackmail someday, and they were best friends after all.

"And now it's time for the private concert by our very own, Delaney!" Hikaru announced in the microphone and at that moment the lights went up on the stage and her music cued and she was off singing and dancing. The school had spared nothing in the way of making it a real concert, she even had some of her back up dancers there with her so that she could sing her fun songs.

Haruhi watched with a smile as her friend enjoyed herself, "She really loves what she does."

"SHE SO AMAZING!" Tamaki swooned with the rest of the girls in the audience.

"I didn't know she could dance like that." Takashi said and Haruhi looked up at him watching her.

"Well I knew she took dance classes, but I didn't know she took Kendo, so I guess that makes us even!" She smiled at him.

"Yeah."

"It's a wonder she even had time to hang out with me as much as she did." Haruhi thought about it.

Hunny smiled at her standing in between her and Takashi, "I guess that means you mean a lot to her!"

"Yeah, I guess…" Haruhi had never thought of it like that.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Whoop! Whoop! Two days in a row! Be sure to let me know what you guys think! :)**

Haruhi wasn't concerned about her gender being revealed during physical exams and so that meant Hoshiko wasn't either. She just sat there as they devised a plan to conceal it from their classmates while Haruhi wasn't really caring if they figured out a way or not and when they were trying to figure out a way to convince her Takashi spoke up, "Fancy Tuna."

She saw Haruhi freeze and couldn't believe that Takashi had thrown the girls weakness, or well food in general was her weakness, but she knew how much Haruhi loved Tuna, out in the open for the other boys to feed on, since he really didn't say anything after that. She listened as Haruhi spoke, "I'm not that much of a glutton that I would keep lying to everyone about my gender just to try some fancy tuna."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Hoshiko said the second she finished and Haruhis face fell.

"You're supposed to be on my side." She looked over at the girl who was sitting cross legged on the couch.

Hoshiko just smiled and waved her off, "But you know how much I love honesty."

Haruhis shoulders fell, "Am I really going to get to try some?"

The majority of the club cheered that she caved in.

* * *

The next day she was sent to the room that Haruhi was going to be in for her exam early to get hers done and decided to wait there until Haruhi went in. When it took longer than it should have she went searching for them and walked into the room just in time to see Tamaki exit the small room with a brown wig on and busted out laughing with the twins at how dramatic he was being about it.

She joined the others in leaving once Haruhi had been sent away to the private room and heard one of the girls talking about one of the doctors grabbing her. Kyoya said that he had noticed a strange man in there that wasn't a part of her staff and finished with saying that the security guard would find him. They over heard the girl telling him where the strange doctor had went, "Yes sir, he ran off towards the special boys clinic."

Her heart stopped and she immediately took off running. The five boys with her were shocked at how fast she moved but Takashi was right behind her and Tamaki had recovered enough to be fast behind him. She broke into the room and Tamaki managed to get in front of her and kicked the man away from Haruhi before she had the chance and so instead she wrapped her arms around the half undressed girl protectively, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She looked up at her friend and could see the concern fading in her eyes. They sat there listening to this guys story and she placed her jacket on the girls shoulders so that she could cover up. She couldn't help but smile when Haruhi asked them to leave so she could finish her exam, "I'm not doing it for food, I'm doing it to repay my debt."

Tamaki went to engulf her in his arms in another one of his cute rages and Hoshiko was there before he could blink with her knee in his stomach, "YOU DON'T TOUCH HER WHEN SHE'S NOT PROPERLY DRESSED!"

"Ow!" Tamaki groaned with tears in his eyes, looking up at Haruhi hoping for some help.

"Thanks for that Shiko, but why don't you do it when I'm dressed?" Haruhi looked up at her with an unamused face.

"Because you never ask for my help then, but when you're like this I can only imagine what your father would do to me if he found out I let that happen." She shivered in fear.

"That's a fear that's going to last a life time isn't it?"

"Oh god yes." Hoshiko said before grabbing Tamaki by the collar and dragging him out of the room with the other Hosts following.

Haruhi couldn't help but laugh at her best friends illogical fear of her father.

"You must really care about her, Hoshi-chan." Hunny looked up at her with Usa-chan in his arms as they walked down the hallway.

"Ruhi and I have been through a lot together, we've known each other for close to eleven years now." She smiled at the boy.

"Wow so you two are like me and Takashi." He smiled.

"I guess you could say it's something like that." She smiled back at him.

"Loyalty like that is a hard thing to find these days." Takashi spoke to them both.

"You're very right." She smiled lowering her eyes to the ground as they walked.

* * *

"Oh Hunny! That kimono is too cute on you." Hoshiko couldn't help but find the boy completely adorable in his oversized garb.

"Thanks, but I'm having a problem properly tying the back, Takashi is changing so he can't help me." Hunny showed her the back.

"Well I think I can help you with that." She smiled kneeling down to help him and when she was half through Takashi walked out having a similar issue.

"Now you can help Takashi! Look how good she made mine!" Hunny jumped up and down and Takashi nodded.

"Please." He asked.

"Of course." She smiled at him standing up to be able to help him. It was strange helping guys get ready, normally it was always girls getting dressed up for things, but she had to admit that they had great plans for getting the girls riled up, "There you go."

"How do we look Hoshi-chan?!" Hunny said jumping on Takashis arm.

"Adorable and masculine." She smiled saying to Hunny and Takashi respectively and they both gave her smiles.

She never participated in the club activities, she only ever observed, Kyoya liked the idea of having her around since the girls would have someone to entertain them or swoon over when they weren't with a host. Often watching from a window sill she took notice of the new girl who was sitting there watching them that Haruhi had noticed first.

Hoshiko spit out her tea with a laugh when she saw the girl hit Tamaki away calling him phony. She quickly cleaned herself up noticing that Takashi had looked over at her. And she was sure to cover her mouth as the girl continued to call him other names including disgusting and commoner.

When she jumped into Kyoyas arms Hoshiko almost dropped her tea cup again as the girl exclaimed that he was her one and only prince charming, "Are you sure you have the right guy?"

Haruhi gave her an ice cold stare as the twins busted out laughing, "I like her!"

"She can stay!" Kaoru said after Hikaru had finished.

The room cleared out and the girl sat down and explained herself and her love for Kyoya. As she described all the things that he'd done like save a cat and picking flowers in the garden Haruhi knew that Hoshiko had to have been right, "Could you have the wrong person?"

"I say it and I get in trouble, but you says it and it's polite." Hoshiko took a bite out of the cake that Hunny offered her.

Renge continued to go on about Kyoya and they all knew that it couldn't be the Kyoya that they all knew. When she said that he was her real life character off of Uki Doki Memorial Hoshiko did a little victory dance in the back ground, having been the first that called it.

As soon as Renge declared that she was going to be the Host Club's manager the dance stopped, "I'm tempted to find another way to spend my spare time all of a sudden."

"Don't you dare leave me alone in this." Haruhi mumbled next to her.

Takashi even looked at her with a plea in his eyes and Hunny had tears welling in them so she sighed, "Fine I'll tough it out only to watch Kyoya deal with this."

* * *

The next day they were all sitting around the table drinking tea and Tamaki said that Haruhi having another girl around would bring out her feminine side and Hoshiko looked sideway at him, "What am I then?"

"Apparently only a girl in anatomy." Haruhi said flatly giving Tamaki the same look.

Not to long after Renge came in with cookies that she claimed were slightly burnt and when Hunny said that they were burnt Takashi told him not to eat them because they were bad for him and Renge took off after them and they both began running and there was no end to it so she sighed and swallowed, picking up a cookie and biting in to it, it was hard as a rock, "Did you even use butter or eggs in this!?"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Renge took off after her and she just stood there not threatened by the girl and once she saw that and saw who she was she stopped, "Maybe I could have used another egg."

Takashi and Hunny looked at her from behind the girl with thanks in their eyes. She thought that trouble had been adverted until Renge began 'recasting' the members of the club and Hoshiko threw her hands up, "Okay, that's it. I'm out. Let me know when you guys go back to who you are because watching Hunny be a thug is not how I pictured my day."

They all watched as she walked over to the couch and propped her feet up grabbing her notebook again and began scribbling. "What was that all about?"

Haruhi looked up at Hunny who had asked the question, "Well Shiko has never really liked lying, and not being yourself qualifies to as that to her, so that's why she only likes Senpai half of the time, because to her it seems like he's acting most of the time. She has always said that when people are fake, they're more likely to hurt you because they can't even care enough about themselves to be true to themselves."

"That's very wise." Takashi said looking at the girl on the couch who was now wearing headphones.

"And very true." Hunny said sliding down Takashis arm, "But I wonder why it upsets her so much."

"How well do you guys know her mother?" Haruhi looked up at them.

"We've only seen her at a dinner parties, she was always doting on Hoshi-chan and bragging about her." Hunny answered and Takashi nodded.

Haruhi looked down at the ground and the two boys noticed her sad eyes, "That's why… Her mother is a different person when she's around certain people, but growing up Shiko and I hung out a lot at her house and her mother was either never there or always looking down on her or her father."

"I heard her say something like that once before." Takashi spoke his eyes still locked on the girl who seemed as if she still couldn't write down any lyrics, "But it was only a mutter."

* * *

She watched from the windows as they filmed a movie and just shook her head and headed for the piano while she had the room to herself. Putting her fingers to the keys she decided to play a song she had already written, one that she had yet to perfect, it was better than sitting with blank paper in front of her and getting nowhere.

She played lightly singing along to the words until she heard crashing from outside and left to look out the window seeing Haruhi blocking Renge from being shoved into a wall full of equipment. Hoshiko quickly went running and didn't even stop when she passed by Hunny and Takashi who ended up following her to come around just in time to see Kyoya break the camera lens.

Seeing that Tamaki had saved Haruhi stopped her from running to the girl. Knowing that she had other people to look out for her was nice and it couldn't help but make her smile. She listened as Renge compared Kyoya to the character from her video game, saying that he should be being nice to her, then Tamaki answered her. Hoshikos smiled grew as she listened to Haruhi explain how much better it is to get to know the real person and not just the fake on you made for them and she finished Haruhis thought, "And the bond is stronger that way."

Haruhi looked up seeing she was there and walked over to her after putting her contact back in, "Hey, you've come out of hiding."

"Well you're all acting like yourselves again." She smiled.

"I didn't remember it bothering you that much before, I mean it was never me that you would get that way about but it was still never that extreme with anyone else." Haruhi looked up at her.

"It's been a long four years." Hoshiko let out a small laugh, "And the past few months have been the worst of it, except for the parts when I'm with you guys."

"Well I'm glad to hear we don't make your life any worse." Haruhi laughed.

Hoshiko couldn't help but grin at her friend, "Well I still have a lot more time to have to put up with you!"

"Oh gee thanks." Haruhi acted insulted until Hoshiko put her arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight.

"We should order sushi tonight!" Hoshiko laughed at her friend's doe-eyed look, "That place by your house looked pretty good!"

"Sounds like a plan." She laughed, the club had to admit that it was nice to see Hoshiko smiling again.

* * *

It was the second day of the twins fighting and they were beginning to get on everyone's nerves. Kyoya was sitting by himself and she walked over to where he was, "So interesting events happening huh?"

"Interesting indeed." Kyoya smiled and looked up at her, "Not only do you know how to get information, you're observant too."

"I was wondering if you'd figured it out yet." Hoshiko smiled and turned around to walk away.

"Delany-senpai, when did you figure it out?" He turned to look at her.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled innocently at him, "If I tell you that you'll say you discovered it sooner. But I will say, faking a break up like this takes coordination."

"Hoshi-chan!" Hunny called her from the other side of the room and she waved goodbye to Kyoya.

She sat down next to Hunny and he offered her a piece of cake, and she thanked him "Strawberries, my favorite."

"You and Kyo-chan seem to have a lot in common. You're both really smart and really observant, and sometimes really scary. You two would make a power couple." Hunny smiled and Takashi froze at his words without realizing he had until Hoshiko began choking on her cake from shock.

"No, two people like me and Kyoya would not make a good pair, the differences between us would only make us hate each other more than we do now." She finished clearing her throat.

"You hate Kyo-chan?" Hunny looked sad.

"Not in the normal sense, it's more of a competitive hatred, we respect each other for our similar abilities but we always want to be the first to arrive at the answer and that makes it a healthy hatred since we're friends, but if we were to ever be more than that we would probably kill each other." She smiled reassuringly sipping her tea.

"I'm sure I would kill you first." Kyoya said walking by.

"You really wanna make that a competition too now?" She glared at him.

He turned around with his sly smile, "No, because that would mean that I would have to marry you, which I have no intention of doing."

"It wouldn't even get that far, because I would never say yes. You're too strict with your money and that would drive me up the wall." She returned to her tea cup.

"But-" Hunny started again.

Takashi interrupted him, "Mitsukuni, that's enough."

Hoshiko had noticed his expression the whole time the conversation had been happening and wondered if he had some hidden feelings for her? She shook the insane idea from her head, she knew that Mitsukuni always came first to him so he would never let himself be bothered by feelings, plus it's not like they were reciprocated.

* * *

The next day Haruhi yelled at the twins and they revealed to her that this was their way of getting her to let them come over to her house and at the same time Hoshiko and Kyoya said, "Knew it."

They looked at each other and he smiled at her, "When was it you knew, honestly?"

"How about we answer at the same time?" She smiled at him and he agreed.

They counted to three and both said at the same time, "Your momma wears to much make up!"

They both started laughing and Takashi could see what Hunny had meant the day before about them being a good match even if they didn't want to admit it. When they were done laughing everyone else turned to glare at them, even the twins, but Haruhi was the one that spoke, "You knew they were faking it!?"

"Of course. That insult was to perfectly planned for them to have both come up with it on the fly at the same exact time." She giggled.

"You know…" Kyoya looked at her, "While we would be a horrible couple…"

"Perhaps we wouldn't do so badly in business together." She finished his sentence.

Takashi's stomach dropped they were finishing each other's sentences, how could they not be perfect for each other. He hated how simple he was, never knowing what to say to her, he could barely start a conversation with her, and Hunny was the one that always invited her over to the table with them. He would never stand a chance against Kyoya if they started working together.

"I'm sure we could find a way to merge your musical talents with my business talents." Kyoya said.

"Yes but we would have to do something about your money hording." She placed her finger to her lips thinking about it, "It is just something we will have to think on."

"You guys are going to get in trouble one day for being too smart." Haruhi groaned.

"Not if we're always the smartest." They said at the same time and Hoshiko looked over at him with an unamused look on her face, "If we could stop doing that now it'd be great."

"Of course." He said walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well this is just flyin' by isnt it! Be sure to review so I know how you're likin' it!**

Hoshiko had to admit that she enjoyed the Arabian outfits the boys were wearing, Takashi looked very good in the little amount he was wearing but she tried not to stare, she always forgets how in shape he is as a Kendo champion. Once the little kid showed up she knew that the day was going to be full of drama and she just took her seat by the window with her notebook.

All she did was watch as the kid freaked out about all the people in the club and couldn't help but laugh when he asked if Haruhi was a cross dresser. But when the kid took the tea set and dropped it she couldn't help but notice how rude and spoiled the kid was.

She shouldn't have been surprised when a cage dropped down and then Renge came up from below the floor and wondered what all this music room had involved in it. She continued to sit there until she was needed for something which she doubted would happen, she just hoped that this would provide some inspiration for a new song.

She tagged along for fun when the club went over to the elementary school so just to see how the story was going to unfold and when Tamaki said he was going to teach Shiro how to play the song that Hina was playing so that they could play together she thought that perhaps he wasn't as much of an idiot as she thought. And she couldn't believe that he could play the piano like that either, "I don't understand how someone like him could play music like that."

"Jealous." Haruhi smiled at her.

"No, just shocked, sometimes the stars out in America would play up that they were dumb, but behind the scenes they were actually smart, but he doesn't fit that mold at all, I just never expected him to be that graceful, he almost seems genuine." Her face was flat in shock.

"I guess you shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Haruhi smiled at her.

"Nope." She smiled at her friend, wondering if Haruhi was realizing what Hoshiko was seeing on her face.

* * *

Hunny came running up to her, "Hoshi-chan! You have a bathing suit right?!"

"Um, not exactly…" She rubbed the back of her neck wondering what the boy was asking her for.

"What do you mean?" Hunny looked confused.

"Well in America I would surf so I never wore a bathing suit but I have a wetsuit that looks like a one piece…" She explained somewhat embarrassed to talk about this since Takashi was just standing there with an eyebrow raised.

"That works!" Hunny grabbed her hand and pushed her towards Takashi who picked her up bridal style and carried her to a nearby car. She was blushing profusely at this point since she was wearing shorts that day and no matter how he tried to avoid it, his arm was under the skin of her leg even though he didn't wrap his hand around her leg to add more security.

"Where are we going?!" She said as she was placed in the car.

"To help you get inspiration." Takashi sat down next to her while Hunny sat across from them.

"We're stopping by your house for you to get your suit, the others are meeting us there!" Hunny smiled.

She couldn't help but wonder what they had in store for her and more than likely Haruhi that involved needing a bathing suit… or that could give her inspiration.

When they arrived at their destination she headed for the changing room seeing that they were in a tropical water park, maybe this would give her some inspiration after all. While she was in there she heard Haruhi in the next room over fighting with people over a bathing suit and couldn't help but laugh. She exited her dressing room, "Don't worry Ruhi, they dragged me along too."

"I bet it wasn't as forceful as the twins kidnapping you without you knowing what was happening." She groaned from inside the room.

"Morinozuka picked me up and carried me to a car after Hunny asked me about a bathing suit." She half smiled towards the door.

"HE PICKED YOU UP!" She heard her friend exclaim from the other side of the door, "You win."

"Well I'm sure he's gentler than the twins." She laughed, "I'll see you on the pool deck."

She exited the changing area and Hunny ran over to her and he pulled her over to a table where he and Takashi were sitting at. She noticed an iced drink and a pad of paper with a pen on top of it and couldn't help but smile at their gesture, they had been doing a lot to keep her spirits up lately, "It's a mint drink."

She looked down to where Takashi, who had been the one to tell her, was sitting. She tried her best to ignore that he was just in swim trunks, "Thank you."

He couldn't help but notice how the wetsuit clung to her figure, it was all one piece but it was modest, it went down to her upper thighs and had tank top sleeves, it was a deep magenta with dark blue accents around certain parts to accentuate the natural curves of her body. Her hair was pulled up in its normal ponytail and he could tell she hadn't had it cut in a while since it fell down past her shoulders even though it was secured high up on her head.

As she sat down she looked at the blank paper as if it were her worst enemy and muttered to herself, "Today I will not leave you unmarked you damned blank devil."

"Talking it into submission might help, but stepping away from it might be best." Takashi looked over at her, "We only put it there just in case you have an idea."

"Thank you." She couldn't help but blush at his slight smile. They both looked over when Hunny called Takashis name as he jumped into the current pool.

"Come swim with me!" He yelled at them and Takashi stood.

He looked back at her, "Come with me."

"O…okay." She said standing up and following him to the pool. She watched as he bent over and stepped into the pool heading towards Hunny. Not wanting to intrude on their time she just sat on the edge of the pool letting her legs dip into the water. She watched and laughed as Hunny rode on his back as Takashi swam against the current.

Takashi got out after a little while of that and Hunny swam over to her, "Swim with me!"

"Okay." She said sliding the rest of her body in the pool, "I'll race you!"

Hunny smiled in response and they both pretended like they were running against the current. She made sure to stay at the same pace as him since her legs were longer and laughed as the boy played. Sometimes it was hard for her to think he was just weeks younger than her.

She felt a slight shift in the current and looked ahead of them to see a large wave forming, "HUNNY!"

He looked where she was looking but was quickly pulled into her chest and he grabbed around her shoulders, as she yelled, "Big breath!"

Hunny did what she said and right before the water went over their heads she covered his nose and mouth with her hand before the current took them away.

Haruhi was running after Takashi when she saw them get taken under, "SHIKO! God no!"

She had never been so worried for her friend before, but she knew that water was her friend's greatest downfall even if she loved it. Haruhi searched with them for their friends and when she found out that Takashi was Hunnys cousin it made sense why they were so close, she and Hoshiko were close and they were just friends but if they were family on top of that she knew that the bond would be even stronger, if that was even possible.

She walked over to Takashi, "Hey Mori-senpai, its gunna be alright. I'm sure that Hunny-senpai is safe, he's a lot tougher than you might think he is, he's with Shiko, and if he gets hungry the trees are full of bananas."

"You're right." He put his hand on her head with a smile, "I'm sure you're worried about Delany as well."

"Yeah." Haruhis eyes fell, "I just hope she didn't breathe in any water. I don't know if you know this but she had a really bad case of pneumonia when we were growing up. It put her in the hospital for a few weeks, ever since then a little bit of water in her lungs makes her very sick, it's sad because she loves it so much."

Takashi didn't know this but in thinking about it he did remember her not coming to the dojo for over a month about two years into them sparing together.

"She's with Mitsukuni, he'll take care of her." He tried to hide his concern as he removed his hand and the rain stopped.

* * *

Hunny and Hoshiko climbed out of the end of the pool and she was on all fours on the ground, "Are you okay Hoshi-chan?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She coughed a few times, water falling out of her mouth, "I think I just got some water up my nose."

"Oh, okay. Should we wait here or start trying to find our way back?" He asked as she sat back on her legs.

"We should try to find our way back." She said trying to hold back another cough.

"Are you sure you're all right?" He put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fi-" She started coughing uncontrollably and was shocked when Hunny slapped her hard on the back causing her to cough up more water.

"You're right we should get moving." Hunny said helping her up knowing that she wasn't fine.

Her breath was shaky as they walked and she was sure to keep her hand on her mouth so that it might help her from coughing. Hunny looked up towards the sky like he heard something and took off running, "Hunny wait!"

She tried to run after him but at the moment her lungs were having none of it. She had no choice but to slowly follow his path. When she finally caught up to him he was with the rest of the group and Haruhi almost bombarded her, "Are you okay?! Did you breathe in any water?"

"I'm fine, I surf, I've been taken down by a wave be-" She started coughing which didn't help her argument.

"YOU LAIR!" Haruhi yelled at her, "You know what inhaling water does to you! You've been bed ridden six times and gone to the hospital twice for it since you got sick the first time!"

"Ruhi, I'll be okay." She placed a hand on her friends shoulder before coughing again water coming out of her mouth.

"How many times has she coughed up water Hunny-senpai?" Haruhi looked at him with scared eyes.

"Um that was the third or fourth time." He answered thinking about it.

Haruhi sighed, "How could you do something stupid like that?"

"Yeah because I knew that that idiot was going to turn the current pool into a typhoon." Hoshiko groaned.

"Do I need to call a doctor?" Kyoya asked.

"No." Hoshiko answered but Haruhi answered louder.

"YES!" She knew that Hoshiko needed one even if she didn't want to admit it, "I know you're used to taking care of yourself but you don't have to now! I just got you back you idiot!"

How could she be so stupid, how could she forget that when she was gone, Haruhi had been just as lonely as she was, they had spent all of their time together when their parents weren't around, they were like family and she'd forgotten that she means just as much to Haruhi as she means to her, "I'm sorry."

Haruhi paused at her friend's quiet voice, "It's alright. I know you were just taking care of Hunny-senpai, you always were reckless about yourself when someone else needed help."

She looked up to see her friend smiling at her, Haruhi had forgiven her quick and she smiled back. Hoshiko was about to stand up when she felt arms around her and realized that Takashi was picking her up, "You need rest."

"O…Okay." She said trying not to blush since this time when he picked her up he wasn't wearing a shirt and didn't care about how tight or securely he held her.

Doctors met them back at the main pool and Takashi set her down to let them examine her. He knew the second she did everything that they needed without even being asked that Haruhi had been right, this was common for her. She looked up at him while they had a stethoscope to her chest, "Can you bring me my notebook?"

"Sure." He walked over and grabbed the pen and paper and handed it to her and watched as she began to write down words, "Inspiration?"

"Yes. Thank you for inviting me today." She smiled back up at him before returning to her notebook.

* * *

Haruhi walked into the club room and was rushed by Hunny, "Haru-chan, how is Hoshi-chan doing? She hasn't been to school for three days."

"She hasn't? I thought she was just coming here and going straight home since she was sick…" Haruhi thought about it, "But come to think of it, I haven't heard from her since Saturday either…"

"Do you think she's dead?" Hikaru asked.

"NO!" Hunny began to cry.

"We should stop by and see her." Takashi said placing a hand on Hunnys shoulder, calming him down.

Haruhi was instantly worried, "Yeah we should, I know where she lives."

"Field trip to the Delany estate!" Tamaki got very excited.

They left the school and headed for her home, "Haru-chan, does she still live in the same place she did when you two were growing up?"

"No, this house is a lot bigger." She looked out the window.

"We're here." Takashi said getting out of the car and they all headed for the door, and Haruhi rang the bell.

When the door opened a young girl was standing there in jeans and a t-shirt. Hikaru and Kaoru were confused, "Are you Delany-senpais sister?"

The girl laughed, "No I'm her housekeeper."

"Then why aren't you dressed like one?" Kaoru asked.

"Ms. Delany doesn't ask me to, nor does she care how I dress." The young girl noticed Haruhi, "Ah, Ms. Fujioka, I'm glad you're here, maybe you can get through to her, I'm really worried."

"What's wrong with her, Kimiko?" Hauhi asked walking in the door when offered.

"She got home sick on Saturday and did fine that night, she ate her dinner and went to bed, and she was very cheerful…" Kimiko's eyes were sad, "But the next morning she didn't eat anything and even though she was even sicker, locked herself upstairs in her music room and hasn't eaten since, I don't even know if she's slept."

"Take us to her." Takashi said looking up the stairs.

"Okay." The girl replied with a smile.

As they walked Haruhi spoke to the girl, "You seem to be settling in well."

"Well Ms. Delany is very sweet. She's helped me out so much, I owe her a lot, so I work hard to uphold her rules." She smiled looking at the ground.

"What rules?" Tamaki asked.

"It takes a bit of an explanation to make sense but, Ms. Delany's first week in Japan she saw me sitting outside in the rain, my whole family has passed away and so I didn't have a home to live in and so she gave me money for a hotel that night. The next day I saw her again so I tried to convince her to let me work off the money but she said that instead she would hire me, give me food to eat, and a bed to sleep in. So long as I worked hard in school to be able to go to college so that one day I would be able to take care of myself. That and as long as I take two days off a week from working around the house." The woman smiled at her, "She really is good to me."

"Wow never would have pegged her for that." The twins said at the same time.

"Then you still have a lot to learn about her." Haruhi said as they turned a corner in the gigantic home.

From where they were standing they could hear crashing and yelling from a door in the center of the hallway. Everyone stopped except Takashi and Haruhi who kept walking towards the noise. He opened the door in time to see her fling a stack of papers off of a table. He saw her foot land on one and she slipped losing her balance, falling forward but he caught her and her head landed in his chest. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "Morinozuka?"

"Shiko, what's going on?" Haruhi ran and knelt down next to the two.

"I can't make it work! The words they won't go to the music and I have to get these songs finished by the next seven months or else my contract is broken!" She said punching the ground next to her and Takashi noticed the blood coming from her knuckles, this wasn't the first time she had punched something hard today.

He turned and looked at the housekeeper, "Bandages."

The rest of the group just looked in shock as the girl who always seemed to have it together was having a breakdown in front of them. Haruhi placed a hand on her shoulder, "Just tell the record company that, I'm sure they'll understand."

"No I can't! My mom made a deal with one of the biggest shareholders and added an addendum to my contract, the day that I have to have all the songs to them is my eighteenth birthday and if I don't have it done than she gets everything! Or if she's able to secure a marriage contract before then." Everyone froze in horror, "My dad left everything to me, everything he worked his whole life for, and she only gets enough to live comfortably while I'm underage but if I don't get these songs done by then she gets all of it! She gets control of everything, including my right to marry whoever I want."

"Shiko…" She knew how much her fathers legacy meant to her friend, and that she would never let her mother get her hands on it since the woman would just waste it away on silly and frivolous things.

"I only have two and a half songs out of eighteen. At this rate, I won't make the deadline and I'll be trapped by her for the rest of my life." Tears flowed from her eyes, "I just don't have the same inspiration that I used to I guess."

"What was your inspiration before?" Tamaki asked.

Haruhi saw a small smile appear on the crying girls face, "Spending time with my friends then telling my father the stories of it all, or listening to his advice on life, or sometimes just little things that people would say or do that struck a chord with me…"

Takashi pulled her into him, putting a hand on her head, pulling it to his chest, "You're putting too much pressure on yourself."

"What?" She looked up at him.

"I knew you always carried a notebook with you, even to the dojo, but I never knew it was for this." He looked down at her, "But I did notice that every time I saw you, you were farther along in it, you enjoyed life and didn't have any pressure to get anything done." He took the bandages from the maid when she brought them to him and lifted her bleeding hand, this wasn't the first time he had wrapped her hand for her, Haruhi had been right, she was a clutz, "I know you're worried about your mother taking everything away from you but maybe despite that you should stop and enjoy life, find inspiration on its own, and not go looking for it."

That was the most Haruhi had ever heard him say at one time and she was shocked by what he had said, but she noticed that Hoshiko was smiling as he wrapped her hand. Haruhi couldn't help but smile at the two's interactions, "You know you seem to have a lot going on in that head of yours, Shiko. It sounds like it's an animal."

Out of nowhere the girl began laughing at Haruhi, "How do you even remember that?!"

"Because it was the funniest thing I think I've ever seen you do." Haruhi laughed with her.

"I'm confused." Kaoru said.

"That makes no sense." Hikaru followed.

"When we were kids I had this hat that looked like it was the head of a lion and when she asked me what was the deal with it I said that my head was an animal and when she asked what that mean I replied that it meant that I had a lot going on in my head." She finished giggling, "It made no sense whatsoever but it stuck."

"Every now and then I'd bring it up to make her laugh." Haruhi finished.

"Ms. Delany, it's almost dinner time. Should I make extra for your guests?" Kimiko asked after setting the thrown paper back up on the table.

"Yeah, I'll help you." She said standing up, "That is if you all want to stay for dinner."

"Yeah!" Hunny yelled and the others agreed.

"Miss, you're still sick, you shouldn't be in a hot kitchen." The girl protested.

Hoshiko went to object but was cut off by Takashi, "She's right, you should have already been better by now. You've missed three days of class and can't afford to miss anymore."

"Okay." She sighed and the maid froze and looked at the tall boy.

"I need to have you on speed dial for when she insists on helping me all the time." The girl smiled at Takashi and left to start dinner.

Hoshiko turned to look around at the room she had destroyed and sighed, "Guess I should clean this place up."

"I'll help you." Haruhi said.

"You should sit, tell us where everything goes, we can do this." Takashi said moving her towards a chair. She knew fighting him would do no good, so she took the chair and even Hikaru and Kaoru helped put the room back in order. Once they were done Kimiko called them down for dinner and they joked and laughed and finished their meal and she remembered something, "I think I have something you may like Hunny."

Hoshiko got up and went into the kitchen to bring out a cake, "It was supposed to be for when my mother came down, but she never did so it's all ours!"

"Yay! Cake!" Hunny said grabbing a fork.

"You're mother doesn't live here?" Tamaki asked.

"No, she stays down in Seagaia." Hoshiko sat back down.

"You know, just because you're father isn't here anymore doesn't mean that you can't still tell him about what you do throughout the day." Tamaki looked at her and she had never thought of it that way, she tried not to think about her father, "You can still imagine what advice he would tell you, it seems like he meant a lot to you so I'm sure you know what kind of advice he would give you. Take Mori-Senpais advice and just enjoy life and stop focusing on what you need to do."

"He's right Shiko, you've always focused on what you want to do, and look how much you accomplished for that." Haruhi smiled at her.

"My life would be so boring and lonely without you guys." She smiled back at all of them taking a bite of her cake.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright so 4th chapter, going strong. Lets hope it stays this way haha**

On their way to the beach Haruhi was trying to convince her not to surf since she was afraid that she was going to get sick, "Ruhi, I promise, the waves won't be as bad as the water park."

"If they get bad at all, you get out of the water." She said sternly.

"Yes, mom." Hoshiko muttered.

When they arrived at Kyoyas family estate they sent their bags up to the room and headed to the beach. Hunny looked at her, "Hoshi-chan, where's your notebook?"

"In my bag." She smiled at him.

"But the bags just got sent up to the room! What if you get an idea?!" He pulled at her arm.

"I'll be fine, I just want to spend the day with my friends." She pulled him back and put an arm around his shoulder walking with him. Takashi couldn't help but smile as he walked next to them as they joked on their way to the beach.

Her surf board was brought to her and she pulled off the clothes on top of her wetsuit and Takashi noticed that this one was different than the other she had worn, it was the same shape but instead of covering all of her torso it had only a strip of fabric covering her stomach on her belly button and it was the same on her back leaving her sides exposed and he noticed a scar on the left side of her stomach, "What's that from?"

"Oh well during some of my shows I involve Kendo and swordplay into my dancing and we rehearse mostly with bamboo or sticks the last two rehearsals are with actual swords that we're going to be using on stage, one of my dancers ankles gave out while we were practicing and got me in the stomach."

"That must have hurt." He looked slightly concerned.

"It did, I needed stitches but thankfully the show was far enough out to where I could still perform, we just weren't able to do that routine, just in case, and we had to do a wardrobe change." She smiled at him before heading towards the water.

She enjoyed the surf and was surprised how many girls opted to watch her with the rest of the club being there, she didn't care though that the girls had come along, all she cared about was the surf the sun and the friends that she was with. She sat on her board watching as Tamaki sat with a girl one at a time, the twins played volleyball, and as Hunny and Takashi did some strange dancing. Takashi looked over and noticed her sitting there and grabbed a water bottle from the cooler and began walking towards her. When she realized that he was headed for her she paddled closer to him, even though he was tall he would have been out to his neck where she was. The water was up to his waist when he reached her and she pulled her legs up onto the board, "I thought you might be thirsty."

"Thanks! Be careful Morinozuka, all these things you do to help and take care of me might make people think you like me." She joked with him and he got a slight blush and smiled back.

"You don't have to call me Morinozuka." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, you don't have to keep calling me Delany." She have him a wide smile, "You should head back before Hunny starts to miss you."

"Right." He began to turn seeing Hunny waving at them from the beach, "Be careful out here."

"I was about to head back in, check on Ruhi." She smiled at him sliding off of her board, she didn't realize how deep the water was since it only went up to his waist but she kept forgetting that he was taller than her by a lot now, and she lost her balance. He caught her before her head went under the water and they both froze.

He didn't mean to grab her by the waist and butt and she didn't realize that her head was going to land on his bare chest and her hand would fall onto his neck. She freaked out when she realized that they were close enough to kiss each other, and in fact that's what it looked like. Hoshiko quickly jumped out of his reach grabbing her board to put some distance between them and she quickly spoke, "I'm really sorry! I didn't think it was that deep and I lost my balance! My bad."

"No, it's okay, I'm sorry for-" He started a blush covering his face too.

"It's all good!" She briskly started walking back to the beach and their little accident hadn't gone unnoticed.

A group of girls ran up to her, "You and Mori-senpai looked so cute!"

"Do you two, have a secret affair?!" Another one squealed.

"NO!" She freaked out, "It was nothing like that I swear! I fell off my board and he caught me, the water just made it awkward! I promise ladies!"

They went on squealing about how sweet he was and she just nodded hoping that the awkward moment would be forgotten. Haruhi walked up to her as she was leaving the group of girls, "That seemed to have flustered you more than it normally would have."

She turned to see her friend smirking at her, "Are you telling me that you wouldn't have had the same reaction?! It was…um…not proper."

"So that's your excuse huh?" Haruhi gave her a look of disbelief, "I'm your best friend, and I'm not stupid ya know."

"Shut it." She said as Hunny called them over saying that he was Hellfish shunting which even to the both of them was completely adorable. They looked around noticing it didn't seem to be that kind of beach until they saw that he had a pale full of them. Out of nowhere the beach was covered with them.

Hoshiko saw Takashi look at a big rock and when he walked up it and looked over she, herself got curious and climbed up, but unlike him she had to actually climb, he just had to walk. They saw Kyoya's family's police squad unloading buckets of shellfish and she couldn't help but smile at the notion from the work force. She laughed when she heard Haruhi talking about how great the food was going to be that night but as she turned her sandal slipped on the rock but Takashi was there to save her once again and this time the group did see that he grabbed her by her butt as a support his other hand just gracing past her chest. They slid down the rock and he quickly let her go and she tried to play it off, "I'm always going to be a klutz it seems."

Everyone laughed at her, the hold Takashi had on her forgotten and he looked down at her as the blush slowly faded from her face and she looked up at him with a smile and said jokingly, "I told you, you keep saving me and people will start to wonder."

 _So let them_ , he thought but knew that wouldn't be right to say so instead he just responded with a smile.

They spent the rest of the day playing around on the beach and it was almost sunset, she was playing with Hunny as Takashi watched and she knew that Haruhi was still looking for shells for dinner. When a girl came running down the beach yelling that there was something wrong with Haruhi she went running behind Tamaki towards where the girl was pointing. He jumped off the ledge first and Hikaru and Kaoru were already beating up the two guys and she just looked down to see if she could see Haruhi.

She ran to down the beach when Tamakis head popped up with Haruhi in his arms and when he sat the girl down on the ground Hoshiko wrapped her arms around her right before Tamaki went off on her, "What were you thinking? You're not like Hunny-Senpai, you're not a martial arts master. Why did you confront them? What made you think you would stand a chance? You against two boys?"

He went to put his hands on her shoulders but Hoshiko just pulled her in tighter glaring at the boy and Tamaki seemed to be the only one who didn't notice how much anger was in her since he was so focused on Haruhi who replied with, "What's it matter if I'm a girl and their boys. I was there I had to do something. There wasn't any time to think-"

"That's no excuse you idiot!" He yelled interrupting her and Haruhi knew that Hoshiko was holding back on yelling at him because she could feel her friends body shaking against hers, "Don't forget, you're a girl."

Haruhi spoke before her friend had the chance, "Look, I'm sorry you had to come and save me Senpai, but I don't understand why you're so mad at me right now, I don't think I did anything wrong."

"You don't think so?" He replied, "Fine, whatever you say, but I'm not speaking to you until you can admit that you were wrong!"

He walked away and Haruhi looked up at Hoshiko who was still shaking, "Are you mad at me too?"

"Of course not, I'm mad at the idiot that just yelled at you like you were a five year old." Hoshiko said through gritted teeth, "You know I could never be mad at you for what you did."

"Good, because that's a fall I wouldn't survive." Haruhi smiled up at her.

"How hard did you hit?" Hoshiko walked with her up to the villa.

"Stung a little." Haruhi laughed.

"Good, it builds character." She laughed back.

Hunny looked up at Takashi, "Why would Hoshi-chan be mad at Tama-chan for what he said? And why can't she be mad at Haruhi?"

"We don't know much about them." Takashi spoke as they all started walking up to the home behind the two girls who were joking and laughing.

* * *

She arrived at dinner before Haruhi and Tamaki was moping around. She looked at the twins, "How long is he going to be doing that."

"Probably until one of them caves." Kaoru answered.

"You still mad at him?" Hikaru asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just better at hiding it than he is." She shrugged sitting down at the table across from where Haruhis plate was set up. When she arrived Hoshiko tried not to laugh at Haruhis dress knowing that that was probably something that her dad would pull.

They were all pretty silent during the meal and Haruhi could tell that her best friend was just waiting for something about it to be said. Finally after Tamaki stood up and said that he could see that Haruhi wasn't going to admit that she was wrong and he was going to bed she snapped before he and Kyoya made it to the door, her fist slamming down on the table, "What is wrong with you Tamaki?!"

"Excuse me?" He turned not expecting the outburst from the girl, the rest of the table froze.

"This host club, one that you might I add forced her to join, does nothing but preach being a gentleman and chivalry, the second I believe is even one of your rules. And when she follows these guidelines you get mad at her?!" She stood up and looked him in the eye and everyone felt small compared to the anger exuding from the girl, "How dare you treat her like that! How dare you create this double standard just because she's a girl when the clients don't even know that about her! You didn't get mad at her when she saved Renge. She was doing what she believed to be right and that's something that she has always done! And how dare you try and tell her that her actions where a mistake! Her actions are a part of her so you are informally telling her that a part of her is a mistake!"

"Delany-senpai…" Tamaki was frightened out of his mind.

"Shut up!" She yelled, "Go to your room and think about that! Perhaps you'll realize that she might not be the one who owes an apology!"

And with that he quickly left the room fearing for his life if he didn't with Kyoya hot on his trail. Haruhi couldn't help but smile, "I know what this is about, and I can't believe I even forgot."

"It was ten years ago, I wouldn't expect it to come to mind that quickly for you." Hoshiko sat back down calmly her outburst finished.

"Maybe he's right though, maybe I do need to learn to protect myself…" Haruhi said, "Even you know how to now…"

The twins butted in leaving Hoshiko with a small smile, knowing that Haruhi was too nice to let her Senpai and her be at odds for too long, it's just how she was. When Hunny said that she should apologize for making everyone worry she looked over at Hoshiko, "Did I make you worry too?"

"I'm always worried about you Ruhi, just like you're always worried about me." The girl smiled at her lovingly.

When Haruhi apologized to them for making them worry the twins and Hunny began hugging her and she felt sick and ran to the nearest bathroom. Hunny turned to look at Hoshiko who just watched her friend run off with that same smile, "Hoshi-chan, what was it that you guys were talking about earlier? About what happened ten years ago?"

"It was about the day we first met." She smiled setting her head on her hand looking out at the window, "I was seven, she was only five. I got bullied a lot in school for being half American and one day while I was walking home these boys cornered me and started picking on me, throwing my bag to the ground, the usual kid stuff. Out of nowhere Ruhi showed up and started yelling at them to leave me alone. She picked up a rock and threw it at them and they all went running, either they were scared of her or thought that now it was more trouble than fun, but either way they were gone. She helped me put everything back in my bag and even walked me home. After that day we were inseparable, and that's how it's always been, her and I against the world. It didn't matter who it was that got challenged by someone the other one was always there supporting them, having their back, it didn't matter who the enemy was, all that mattered was that we knew we had each other."

"But you know Kendo?" The twins said.

"I didn't then. That's why my father enrolled me in it actually. I never told Haruhi because it was nice, still having someone there by my side every day and I didn't want her to feel like I didn't need her anymore, because we were both so lonely." She smiled up at them, "That's how I know what she did today is just her, because she's been doing it since she was five."

"Wow that does explain a lot." Hunny said smiling at her, "I'm glad the two of you had each other!"

"Me too." She smiled off into the distance and heard a clap of thunder, "I should probably go see if I can find her."

Everyone wanted to go with her so they began walking only to see Kyoya in the hallway walking towards them, she spoke first, "Have you seen Haruhi?"

"Yeah, I just left her in my room with Tamaki." He smiled at her, "I'm sure the two of them will make up."

"That gives me no comfort!" She said heading for his room.

"Are you sure it was okay to leave the two of them in there alone?" The twins asked.

Kyoya said that he was sure it was fine but Hoshiko opened the door anyway and saw Haruhi on her knees with Tamaki couching in front of her while she wore a blind fold and according to what he was saying ear plugs as well. She couldn't help but snicker as Hikaru said, "You nasty pervert."

"Yeah, what kind of foreplay is that?" Kaoru asked and she couldn't help but bust out laughing now.

Haruhi took off the blind fold and saw them all standing there as Tamaki tried to explain and she stood and walked over to Hoshiko, "Hey, so uh, wanna, uh."

"Yeah, let's go." She let out a few more laughs before putting her arm around Haruhis shoulders as they walked to Haruhi's room.

When they arrived Hoshiko pulled out another thicker cover and they both climbed into the bed without even changing. When thunder rang in the sky Haruhi flinched and Hoshiko wrapped her arms around her pulling the blankets over their heads, "You protect me from bullies."

"And you protect me from thunder." Haruhi smiled as Hoshiko began to hum and Haruhi couldn't hear the thunder anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry guys it's been a rough few days haha, but in my absence I have been working! Hopefully there will be another chapter tonight! (If not then there will for sure be one tomorrow) Be sure to let me know what ya think! :D**

If she had known that Haruhi was going to get coffee for the club she would have gone with her but instead she was stuck there while the others were getting ready, they were apparently knights today. Hunny called her name from his changing room and she walked over, "Can you help me buckle this since Takashi is still getting his on?"

"Of course." She smiled closing the curtain behind her. Takashi was in the room right next to them and could hear the conversation that Hunny started.

"I looked up one of your sword routines, it's really amazing that you can do that stuff!" Hunny smiled at her as she secured a latch on his chest piece, "I know Takashi is good with a sword but I don't think he could dance with one."

"Well he does Kendo, which isn't dancing. I was taking dance lessons while learning Kendo so I would incorporate the two together when I would practice." She smiled moving over to the other latch.

"Yeah but yours lights on fire! That's so cool!" He exclaimed and Takashi had no idea that she could do all of that too.

"Thanks Hunny!" She laughed at the cute boy, "There all done."

"I can't get mine either." Takashi asked holding the curtain open, his chest piece hanging off of his body loosely.

"Okay." She smiled at him standing up as Hunny skipped out of the changing room. The curtain closed and she hated how easily he made her blush just by standing there, she was beginning to feel like one of his clients.

He lifted his arm so that she could get to the straps there and she moved underneath it, her small delicate fingers working on the latch, "Well it's stuck, that's why you couldn't get it."

He looked down at her as she smiled up at him and he himself tried to hide his blush, "Can you get it?"

"I just have to tug at it really hard." She laughed as she snuck her finger into the loop that was caught, she pulled really hard and as she got it free her hand scrapped against the edge of his chest piece. She hissed in pain.

"Are you alright?" He grabbed her hand and looked to see that the skin wasn't broken, which it wasn't just red from the contact. Takashi hoped he wasn't out of line but he couldn't stop himself, he brought her irritated skin up to his lips placing a feather light kiss on it and her face went red, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine! Just a little scratch no big deal! I should hurry to get the rest of these hooked!" She frantically moved her hands around the other straps. Takashi wasn't sure if he had been out of line now or if she was just nervous, but either way he wanted to give her time, she was the first girl he had ever had real feelings for and since he had realized that, he had been thinking about all the times they had spent together before she left and how his feelings had begun to grow then. She interrupted his thoughts, "All done!"

"Thank you Hoshiko." He said and smiled at her before leaving the room.

Once he was gone she fell to the ground, was it just a fan girl crush, or did she actually have feelings for Takashi? Her heart wouldn't stop pounding and she couldn't forget the feeling of his lips on her hand…what if he was just treating her like he would a guest though…? Her brain was so foggy and she couldn't let it do that not when she was so close to finishing a song.

She walked out of the changing room area in time to see three girls in different uniforms than their own and one of them had Haruhi. When they started singing she was really confused what she had missed and her thoughts and feelings about Takashi were gone. Hoshiko sighed once they were done with their introduction, "At least you three were decent at harmonizing…"

The girls gave her an annoyed glare but continued on. She listened to them as they talked and she wore the same expression as Haruhi, confused disbelief, until she looked over and that the guys were no longer paying attention, Takashi even practicing Kendo with his sword, and god he looked amazing doing it. No! She made herself stop thinking about it immediately.

Hoshiko let events play out as she watched, knowing that if Haruhi needed her help she would signal for it in some fashion, mostly she was annoyed that the girls had referred to Tamaki as a halfer because she was one also. When Benibara said that she was going to transfer Haruhi over to St. Lobelias she froze and began walking over as Haruhi began to object. She didn't say anything but stood by her best friend as she tried to defend the Host Club and watched as she got angry about them auctioning them off her mechanical pencil. When Haruhi left she followed, waving goodbye to the boys, "Hey you okay Ruhi? Are you actually thinking about transferring?"

"No, I came here for a reason but that doesn't mean I can't be mad at them." Haruhi gave her a small smile, "Why would you come with me if I transferred?"

"Of course I would." She smiled at her friend, "You were the only reason I picked Ouran."

"Even if it meant not being around Mori-senpai anymore." She grinned devilishly this time.

"Oh, um, of course!" She stuttered and her friend shook her head at her and laughed, "Shut up okay! I have no clue what's going on in here!"

Haruhi laughed even harder when she said that pointing to her head and watched as Hoshiko pulled out the animal hat they had once joked about and placed it on her head as she sulked and Haruhi just laughed even harder.

* * *

The next day they were walking towards the Host Club and the girls from Lobelia were waiting for them in the hallway. They lead them down the hallway and they all opened the doors to the Host Club and amazingly the lights were off for once. When singing started Hoshiko had to cover her mouth to keep from busting out laughing when Takashi sang, his voice was so obvious. When the lights came on and she saw all of them, except Takashi in girls clothes she had to suppress her laughter even more.

As their little show went on she had to control it even more as tears were starting to form in her eyes and Benibara started yelling at them neither Haruhi or Hoshiko could hold back and longer and they both busted out laughing and falling to the floor. When the twins and Hunny came up to them and they both got an even closer look at them they laughed even harder.

When the girls asked for her decision she smiled at the answer that her friend gave, Haruhi had always given her a hard time for being so goal oriented but she's just as much so. Once the Zuka Club left she turned to look at everyone and walked over to Kyoya, "You know you're a lot easier on the eyes like this, I might make it mandatory every Friday or something if we work together."

"You wouldn't." His eyebrow twitched, "Unless of course part of the agreement was that you would have to wear a dress too."

She cringed at the idea, "Well it might be worth it if I were actually able to stomach looking at you for the day."

Tamaki laughed at them, "You two are so horrible to each other, it's so entertaining."

"Tamaki please never wear anything like that again, it's going to give me nightmares." She turned to look at him and heard most of the others hold back snickers.

"Hoshi-chan, I know you don't wear dresses but do you know how to get out of this thing?" Hunny asked her pulling on her pant leg.

"Yeah come on." She said ushering him to the changing room with Takashi hot on their trail, "Do you need help getting that monstrosity off of your back too?"

"Mmm." He said turning around, knowing his would be easier than Hunnys and he could help her with that.

"Takashi do me a favor?" She said and he looked back over his shoulder at her smiling, "No offense but please don't ever sing again."

"Alright." He said with a slight smile as she unhooked the piece off of his back and he followed her to help Hunny get out of his humongous dress.

* * *

"So how's your cd coming along?" Haruhi asked as they sat down eating snacks in front of the tv.

She shrugged, "I've sent off like seven total now."

"That's good, you're almost halfway there! And its barely into summer!"

"Yeah I know. They decided to release one of them early, I think today actually, to keep people interested I guess." She smiled at her friend, "Maybe those boys have some decent advice after all."

"Yeah, I'm sure there's one in particular you're referring to." Haruhi grinned evilly, "Mori-senpai perhaps?"

"Oh hush, I don't even know where I stand on that." She rolled her eyes.

Haruhi engulfed her friend in a hug, "Shiko and Mori sitting in a tree."

"Oh my god no!" She squealed blushing, "I have no idea if it's just a club crush or if its real…and I have no clue if he feels the same so wondering about it won't do any good."

"Oh it is not a Host Club crush, I know what those look like, and they're full of squeals and swooning." Haruhi laughed getting off of her friend, "And he talks to you more than I see him talk to anyone other than Hunny-senpai."

"Yeah but doesn't he do the whole, provider act?" She questioned her friend, "He's allure is his stoicness and taking care of Hunny right?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Haruhi raised a suspicious eyebrow.

Hoshiko blushed, "Well… right before the whole Lobelia thing I was helping him get his armor on and hurt my hand and he kissed it. I figured it was just part of his act."

"I've only ever seen him take care of Hunny-senpai like that, in fact I don't think I've ever seen him touch a guest." Haruhi thought about it.

"Oh well that's not helping at all." She groaned.

"I think you two would be good together. He seems to enjoy you being around and is always there to help you. He was just as worried as I was when you had missed a lot of school and he's quick to make sure that you don't hurt yourself." Haruhi smiled at her.

"You really can stop now, because this really is not helping me one bit." She said pulling her knees into her chest and focusing on the TV.

Haruhi knew her friend was only good at putting her emotions into music. She stood taking the chip bowl into the kitchen, "Write a song about it, it might help you figure something out."

"Maybe." She looked at the side of her hand that he had kissed.

"It's late we should hit the sack if we want to go grocery shopping tomorrow."

"Yeah okay." Hoshiko stood about to go into Haruhis room with her but her phone rang, she looked at the number, "I have to get this it's my record company."

"Okay, just come in when you're done." Haruhi smiled knowing that this was the only part of being a singer that she hated.

She knew it was late by the time she got off the phone and she quietly walked into Haruhis room and fell on the floor curling up under the blankets that were waiting for her.

* * *

She woke up to a bump in the living room and laid there for a moment, when she heard multiple voices she decided she should get up. She slid open the door while rubbing her eyes to see the entire Host Club sitting in the living room. Hoshiko wanted to groan but noticed the bags in the kitchen, "Ruhi why didn't you wake me? I thought we were going together."

"I know you were up late on the phone and so I thought you could use the rest. I was going to wake you once I finished the tea." Haruhi turned to smile at her.

"I'll help." She said walking past all of the boys.

Takashi couldn't look at her, her hair was down, she was wearing short shorts and a loose long sleeve shirt that exposed part of her stomach. She was so pretty he couldn't bear it and with people around he had to keep his cool. She stood next to Haruhi pulling down cups as the tea steeped and Haruhi whispered to her, "At least you look cute when you wake up."

"I'll kill you." She muttered back, picking up four of the glasses that were just poured taking them over to the table while Haruhi followed her with the rest.

"Hoshi-chan! I've never seen you with your hair down!" Hunny exclaimed wrapping his arms around her neck, "You look so pretty, doesn't she Takashi!?"

They both froze and he was glad he had the tea cup lifted halfway to his lips so all he had to do was say, "Yeah."

Haruhi held back a laugh seeing her friend think way too hard about his answer. Hunny offered her the first piece of cake and Haruhi knew which one she was going to choose just to get at her best friends nerves, "I guess I'll take the strawberry."

She heard Hoshiko groan quietly beside her and began laughing. Hoshikos only reply was, "Ass."

"You love me." Haruhi laughed.

"For some reason." She said choosing the chocolate cake with the strawberry on it.

Mori took the strawberries that were on his and placed them on the two girl's plates, "You both like strawberries."

"She just likes taking them away from me." Hoshiko muttered then realized his gesture, "Oh but thank you, you don't have to give them to me, you can have them."

Haruhi wanted to hit her friend for not just taking the gesture, of all the things she was good at to be really horrible at this, but Takashi seemed to think her reaction was fine, "Strawberries are your favorite, I'm fine without them."

"Oh, well thank you." She smiled shyly before Haruhi and she shared a glance and her friend realized how much of a panic she was in sitting next to him and him giving her fruit, but it was gone the moment she took a bite into the cake, "This is god in a cake, Ruhi try some!"

"You mean you've never had this before?" Haruhi said taking a small bite and realizing it was heaven.

"No, I didn't really eat cake before coming back to Japan." She said taking another bite, "That might change though. I'm going to have to work extra hard to keep this weight off while I'm not performing."

Takashi wanted to tell her that she looked fine but knew in front of the others it would be to noticeable, he had already given her part of his cake and that would just be too much, the last thing he needed was more than just Hunny asking him about how he felt about her.

When they began asking about lunch Kyoya offered to pay for it and they could order their favorite sushi. She mentioned the sushi place nearby and Hoshiko thought of the perfect revenge, "Oh you mean the one that that cute boy works at? That place is good!"

"Cute….boy?" Tamaki asked and she turned to see that he and the twins seemed shattered and Haruhi was blushing.

"I mean that's how she described him to me." Hoshiko smiled picking up the tea glasses.

"I'm going to kill you." Haruhi muttered glaring at her friend.

"What, he is pretty cute, not really my type though." She smiled starting the water to rinse out the cups.

"You know Shiko, one day you just won't wake up." Haruhi grinned back at her and knew that this was her payback.

"I'd really like it if you guys made us lunch Haru-chan and Hoshi-chan!" Hunny smiled.

"I guess we could whip something up, but it's gunna take some time." Haruhi answered looking back at Hoshiko who nodded.

"We'll just have to go to the supermarket." Haruhi said sighing and everyone said they wanted to go.

Hoshiko said she was going to change really quick and headed for the bedroom. She put her hair up in a ponytail and changed into ripped up jeans and an old t-shirt of hers from America and headed back towards the front door. As she was reaching for the door she heard another loud bang and knew that that couldn't be Takashi hitting his head since it was so hard of a hit and she opened to see Tamaki sliding down the wall and Ranka greeting Haruhi.

Ranka turned to look at her, "So this is what you allow to happen to Haruhi when I'm not home?"

"AH! NO SIR NOT AT ALL!" She yelled instantly frightened, arms raised slightly in an innocent defense, Ranka scared the crap out of her most days, "I just stepped away to change! I don't even know what happened!"

"Well can't fault you for looking so cute can I?" Ranka smiled at her and her heart rate went down.

Finally after a very awkward moment with Tamaki they all sat down to have another cup of tea with Ranka. She just sat there not getting involved with the conversation, not wanting Ranka to question her about anything.

Finally Haruhi left to go to the supermarket again saying she wanted to go alone and Hoshiko sent telepathic signals that he hoped her best friend received to bring her along. She turned back to look at them from the door, "Shiko can you start some water and seasonings while I'm gone?"

"Yes!" She immediately stood up and headed for the kitchen, it wasn't out of the house but at least it was out of the room.

Ranka and the boys talked for a little while longer until he talked them into following her. Hunny stopped and looked at Hoshiko in the kitchen, "Takashi, we should stay to keep Hoshi-chan company."

"Yeah." Was all he said, he guessed having only one other person there was better than the entire group.

"But Hunny didn't you want to see a commoners supermarket?" She looked at the boy after checking the stove.

"I'm sure I'll get the chance to see one again." He smiled at her.

"Okay." She couldn't help but smile at him, she turned around and turned the radio on, "I always find cooking more fun with music."

"Yeah!" Hunny exclaimed.

Takashi went and sat in the chair that was in the kitchen watching the two of them. He watched as Hoshiko bent down and put Hunny on her shoulders and stood up telling him to reach into the cabinet where she couldn't. He smiled knowing that she could have asked him but knew that Hunny would like it better the way she had done it.

When she put him back on the ground a voice came on the radio, "This latest song comes from a star who made her fame in America and just moved back home. From the sounds of it, it seems like she's enjoying her time back here in Tokyo! Can't wait to see the video for it! Check out this new hit from Delany!"

"This is a new song by you?" Hunny looked up at her as the song started.

"Yeah, a prerelease to the CD." She smiled and he watched as she started to sing the song.

Takashi smiled hearing her sing, both on the radio and in the kitchen, he could tell she had a smile on her face. He looked over to see her singing to Hunny as he danced to the song, even he was tapping his foot. Soon she was dancing with small boy while the pot simmered and Takashi couldn't help but smile even wider.

She went back to the pot to check it during the chorus still semi dancing with Hunny and she didn't want to pick him up this time as she reached for another spice on top shelf and was surprised when there was a body behind her, his chest to her back and she stopped singing as Takashi reached past her and handed her the spice container and smiled at her, "Keep singing."

Hoshiko couldn't fight it and she kept singing to the song, attempting only for a moment to get Takashi to join them in dancing around the kitchen but when he started blushing she left him alone. When the song was over Hunny laughed, "That was really good! I wanna hear it again! It was so happy!"

"Mmm." Takashi looked at her with a small smile, "When did you write it?"

"After you guys all visited me at my house when I was sick." She smiled at him.

"It made you that happy that we came!?" Hunny was beaming.

"Yeah it did. I wrote it that night and the music the next day." She laughed at the boy and they continued to dance to the songs that came on the radio with Takashi watching them with a smile on his face, his two favorite people having fun together, he couldn't be luckier to witness it.

Another one of her songs came on right before the group came back and they were still dancing and singing with Takashi now leaning on the sink next to them as they opened the door to the apartment. Haruhi smiled watching her best friend have so much fun. Hunny rushed her, "Haru-chan we heard Hoshi-chans new song! It's amazing."

"Oh I haven't heard it yet." Haruhi frowned.

"It came on the radio, I'll bring a copy of it to the school so you can hear it." She smiled at her friend and then her phone rang and she sighed, "Record Company."

She slipped on her shoes and went outside to answer it. Haruhi sighed, "Poor Shiko, they had her up all night last night pretty much, they won't leave her alone about something."

Haruhi looked in the pot and noticed it was ready for a stew and couldn't help but smile at the talent her best friend had for logistics. They were sitting down to eat and Haruhi set her out a plate even though she wasn't back inside yet and just as they were about to serve the food she came back in with a smile on her face. Haruhi looked up at her, "What did they want this time?"

"They wanted to see if I had any ideas for my music video, they told me I had to give them at least one today." She sat down with a smile.

"I take it your smile means you have one." Ranka looked at her.

"Yeah, Hunny and Mori gave it to me actually." She looked at both of them happily, "So my next question friends, is do you want to be in a music video?"

The room all responded with a loud yes and Kyoya asked, "Well what's it about?"

"Well since spending time with you guys when we all had dinner gave me the idea for the song and Hunny and I were dancing around to it while cooking I thought it'd be fun to just throw us all in a kitchen and be our normal rambunctious selves and film it to the song." She smiled at them all.

"That sounds like fun!" Kaoru smiled at her.

"Yeah I'm in!" Hikaru followed and the rest of them, even Kyoya agreed that it would be fun to do and publicity for the club.

"Awesome! I'll let you guys know when we're filming it! It should be in the next month and we can just do it at my house in my kitchen since I'm sure a mess will be made." She laughed and everyone started talking about it. She was glad that they liked her idea. They all ate lunch like a very dysfunctional happy family.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo got the next one done!**

All of these cosplays Tamaki put Takashi in were killing her, even the police uniform looked especially good on him, and thank god today they didn't have to wear anything. She was sitting writing in her notebook and he was sitting next to her reading a book while Hunny napped. Takashi noticed that she had been changing positions and seemed as if she couldn't get comfortable and so he looked at her, "Uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, I normally sit all bundled up but I can't figure out a good position today." She groaned.

He put an arm under her legs and placed them on his lap, "They want to be stretched out."

Her face went red, "O…Okay. Are you sure you won't be uncomfortable?"

He shook his head and smiled at her resting his arms on her legs. She was surprised that she was actually very comfortable like this he turned to look at her, "What song are you working on?"

"Uh, no name yet, it's a slow one I think. It's not necessarily for the CD but lines have just been popping into my head that go to the same tune so I've just been trying to work it out." She nervously laughed, she had been doing what Haruhi suggested she do.

"May I?" He asked with a smile.

"Uh…sure. It might not make any sense. It's just jumbles of words right now and uhh.." She was stammering and had no idea what else to say so she just handed over the notebook with her face growing intensely warm.

Takashi felt a blush crossing his face as well as he read the words, it was extremely personal, a song requesting to be a persons love. His heart beat fast wondering who it could be. He thought it would be selfish to think it was him, but then he knew that everyone in the club picked on her and Kyoya for acting like an old married couple most of the time, so maybe she really did have feelings for him, but whoever it was she cared a lot about. He handed it back to her, "I'm sorry, that seems personal."

"Well I wouldn't have let you read it if it bothered me that much, plus thousands of people will end up hearing it at some point so it doesn't really matter." She smiled at him trying not to be embarrassed that he had read lyrics that were about him, it turns out that she had more feelings for him than she had ever thought. She went back to writing but couldn't help but look at him sitting there with her legs on him and him resting his arms on her legs. He even relaxed into the position and she couldn't be any more uncomfortable while being amazingly comfortable.

He noticed that Hunny had woken up and just gave her leg a light pat and she moved them so he could get up. She watched as Hunny found his dirty bunny rabbit and the others began freaking out she looked at Kyoya over the side of the couch, "How much do you wanna bet that Mori say something completely simple and Hunny won't care anymore."

"That's an unfair bet since we both know that's what's going to happen." He looked at her with a grin.

"You're not any fun you know that." She muttered.

He let out a soft laugh, "Well betting against you wouldn't prove well for me since you always win, isn't that right."

"Smart man adding in some flattery." She called his B.S. and went back to her note book. She didn't move even as guests arrived some came and joined her while waiting for their appointments. She was however sitting close enough to Takashi and Hunny to hear when the little boy began to whimper in pain. She stood up clearing the couch for Takashi knowing that he was going to have to pin the boy down to find the source of the pain, it was sad how well she knew the pair.

Takashi had found a cavity in the boy's mouth and cake and sweets were cut from the club room. She was only somewhat surprised at how tough Takashi was being on the boy, dumping out the bag full of candy and handing him an ad with it instead. It was as if the he wanted Hunny to be mad at him. She then realized it, he did, he in some way found a reason to rationalize this being his fault, he was so damned caring that even something that wasn't his fault he made it that way. She really had to stop liking him.

* * *

She was walking with Haruhi down the hallway deep in thought when the girl pulled her behind a column, "Looks like you have competition."

Hoshiko looked where she was pointed and watched as a girl told Takashi her feelings and he just stood there not saying anything, "Do you think he's not responding because of what's going on with Hunny or this is just how he reacts to things like this?"

"I don't know honestly, he doesn't really talk all that much remember?" She looked at her friend who was studying the boy.

"He does to me…" She muttered, "Looks like I'm never telling him how I feel… He's gunna have to start that conversation."

"That could take a while." Haruhi smiled at her nervously.

She looked at her friend, "Yeah well it's better than just being stared at in silence, even I get nervous you know."

"Yeah okay." Haruhi laughed as they continued to walk on to the library.

* * *

Hunny had been trying to get sweets from anyone and everyone, Takashi was the first and probably most painful with a popsicle straight to the tooth. Hunny tried her next and she look looked up at him from her notebook, "I'm sorry Hunny, but Takashi is scary right now and I'm not going to be the one that makes him angry, I know he can beat me up and he'll stop you from beating me up."

"I understand." Hunny said turning around to try someone else.

Three days had passed and none of his techniques worked and she was sitting next to Takashi who looked really sad and had his eyes on Hunny as he paced looking for something sweet to eat. When Hunny bit Tamaki, Takashi stood up and she watched as he walked over to Hunny and told him to stop it.

When Hunny threw Takashi she stood up knowing that it could have really hurt him but when Hunny said that he hated Takashi and ran past them to the door she ran to Takashi knowing that the words stung more than the throw, "Takashi! Are you all right?!"

He didn't say anything despite her putting her arm on his shoulder helping him sit up and crouch behind him to help him stand up, only for him to take a few steps and fall again, to which she was back at his side, holding him steady. The twins told him that maybe Hunny wouldn't have said that if he hadn't of been so strict about the candy. When she spoke only Takashi heard her, "But you had to be didn't you? As punishment for something? Oh Takashi, you're so stupidly sweet."

He felt her arms go completely around him as Haruhi vocalized what she had already said to him and he turned in her arms, but never left them and explained how Hunnys cavity was his fault and she couldn't help but put her head on his shoulder, with a slight laugh, "You are loyal to a fault, you know that."

She looked up to see Hunny running towards him and before Takashi saw she released him from her grasp so that the boy could wrap his arms around his friend instead. She watched the touching reunion, knowing how amazing that feeling what, she and Haruhi rarely fought, but when they did, it wasn't pretty and when they made up they felt amazing.

A few days later the ban on sweets was lifted and Hunny was happy as ever, and she couldn't help but look over at Kyoya, "How's it going Mr. Accountant?"

"Shut up." He muttered and she couldn't help but laugh at him.

The girl that Haruhi and Hoshiko saw confessing her feelings for Takashi walked in and spoke to him again just standing there, and that answered her question as to whether or not it was Hunny that made him not respond and it made her even more unsure about what to do about her feelings. The girl became a new fan of moe and Hoshiko just rolled her eyes, Haruhi looked at her, "Good luck."

"I told you I ain't startin' it." She threw her hands in the air and began to head to her window sill.

After a while she headed to the changing room to wash off her face, hoping it would help clear her mind. When she walked in she saw Takashi, "Sorry I didn't know that anyone was in here."

"I just needed a moment alone." He gave her a small smile.

"Thinking about what that girl said to you?" She leaned on the sink, hoping to get some kind of hint out of him, "I think it's sweet how you take care of Hunny, not saying I find it enthralling like those girls do, but sweet nonetheless."

"Thank you." He looked at her from the side, "You called me Takashi the other day for the first time. Why?"

"I don't know." She hadn't even realized she had done it while running to his side, "I didn't mean to be that informal but I guess I was just worried about you."

"Thank you, I haven't thanked you yet." He leaned his hip on the counter so that he was looking at her straight on now, she couldn't look at him.

"It's not a problem. You look out for me all the time." She smiled, still unable to look at him, afraid that she would just let everything slip out of her mouth if she did.

Takashi turned to leave, knowing she probably wanted alone time as well, which was probably her reason for coming to the changing room. He reached for the door handle and had to tell her something, even if he couldn't figure out the perfect way to tell her how he felt yet, he could at least start to lead up to it, "She was right, Mitsukuni does mean a lot to me. He's not the only person I care about, that's the reason I didn't respond to her request."

With that he was out of the door and she was left alone. Her knees hit the floor and she couldn't even process what was going on in her head and in her heart, was that his way of telling her? If so it was very cryptic. She didn't know how long she stayed there on the floor thinking about it but she heard Haruhi calling her name and she quickly put herself back together and opened the door, "Here I am!"

"Oh, I'm going home." Haruhi smiled at her.

"I'll walk you!" Hoshiko said grabbing her bag and following her friend out of the room waving good bye to everyone, not letting her eyes linger on Takashi even though she noticed he wore a smile.

* * *

It was the day of the music video shoot and the director and crew were going to be there any minute Kimiko was still cleaning a pot in the kitchen when the group watched as Hoshiko finally got up from the couch and walked in there, "KIMIKO! I SAID RELAX!"

"But it has to be perfect for the shoot! Can't have a dirty kitchen on camera!" The girl said as Hoshiko pulled her away from the sink.

"It's going to get dirty anyways, since that's where were filming! You're freaking out more than the people that are going to be on camera." She slammed the kitchen doors shut and locked them so the girl couldn't get back in, "Now you go and you enjoy your Saturday! I heard you on the phone and I know your friends are going to the beach, join them."

"But-"

"No buts except yours in a bathing suit taking a ride to the beach." Hoshiko crossed her arms, showing that the conversation was over.

"Fine." She sulked up the stairs.

"Meet a cute boy while you're there!" She yelled after the girl, she turned around to the group shaking her head.

"You really care about Kimi-chan don't you?" Hunny asked peeking over the side of the couch.

"She doesn't have anyone else, if I hadn't cared and if I still didn't care, who knows where she would be now." Hoshiko smiled thinking about the girl who was a few years younger than her, "I have enough money to provide for both of us. We're all so well off I feel like we're kinda responsible to help those who need it when we have more than we'll ever need."

"That's very thoughtful of you Hoshiko-senpai." Tamaki smiled at her right before the doorbell rang.

"Looks like he already has his camera face on." She stood up and walked over and they watched as she directed the crew to where they could lay their equipment down. Hoshiko headed back over to unlock the kitchen door when she heard a voice she knew, "Delany my girl! You look fit as ever!"

"Roger!" She ran and jumped into the mans arms who seemed to be in his mid-twenties, "I didn't know you were the one they were sending!"

"Well when I heard you had gotten an idea for the song I knew I had to place the highest bid on being the one to direct it just to give you your exact vision on it." He smiled setting her down, everyone was surprised the American man spoke such good Japanese, "I have to make sure that you're taken care of and happy!"

The man turned and looked at the group of boys sitting on the couches and smiled at them, "So I take it you guys are the friends she told me about?"

"Yes!" She introduced them all and they all greeted him, "We all go to school together and were the inspiration for the song."

"Well that sounds perfect." He smiled at her, then his face fell, "You aren't dating any of them are you."

She froze in terror, "No! Of course not! I never dated anyone in America! I'm still just as focused here as I was there, no time for distractions! You know that!"

"Okay, I believe you. You're father asked me to look out for you when he wasn't able and that means threatening any guy you date." He patted her on the head with a wide smile and she just rolled her eyes he began walking to the door she had been heading to, "Kitchen this way?"

"Yeah." She said opening the door.

Roger looked around and his eyes grew wide, "You could feed an army in this place!"

"Well it just feeds me." She shrugged.

"Same difference." He laughed and she glared at him lovingly, "Alright everyone let's start setting up."

Haruhi and the others followed her in and they stood by the island stoves while the crew worked, "You two seem like you've known each other for a while."

"He used to work for my dad." She smiled, "They were really good friends despite age and Roger always directed every one of my music videos he could."

"What is it your dad did in America Hoshi-chan?" Hunny asked from Takashis shoulders.

"He owned a record company that has divisions in three countries." She smiled at the boy.

"So then you going into music makes sense." The twins stated.

She leaned on the stove top, "Well actually, my dad never told me it until after we moved to America. He wanted me to realize my dreams on my own and he didn't realize how far I had gotten into realizing them until my demo cd was on his desk without him even knowing it. He left the decision to sign me up to the vice president of the company so that there was no claim of favoritism."

"Wow he really made sure not to affect your life at all didn't he?" Haruhi smiled at her.

"Yeah, he wanted me to know that everything I achieved I did myself." She laughed before Roger called that they were pretty much ready.

"Alright kiddo, is there any specific way you want to be set up?" He asked her.

"Well it should be four on one side and four on the other."

"Haru-chan should be on the same side as Hoshi-chan since they're best friends!" Hunny gleamed at his bright idea.

"That sounds good." Roger said placing the two girls next to each other, "Anything else?"

"Well I think Hunny should be on the other side of me since he pretty much gave me the idea, and Mori should be next to him since they're always together. The twins should be in the center over there since we need them to be their normal mischievous selves. And Tamaki and Kyoya can be on either side of them." She said tapping her chin with her finger, "And Kyoya, I need you to actually smile and look like you're having a good time, or I'll be forced to dress you like a girl in order to make you more appealing."

"I'll do my best to be considered appealing." He smirked at her with a twitching eyebrow.

Roger was impressed, "Good to know you still plan everything out as best as you can."

As they finished setting up the last of the many cameras in the kitchen, she left her spot to pull out the food that they were preparing in the music video which she had precooked the night before and set it on the stove tops and Roger nodded with a smile, "Alright, you guys just do what you do and have fun, Delany, just remember to sing along to the words as much as you can alright, leave the rest up to us."

"Yessir!" She smiled at him and turned back to everyone, "I've picked stuff we should all know how to make, Tonkatsu and Gyudon."

"Those don't really go together." The twins stated.

"Well I'm sorry, I would have pre-prepared a more deluxe meal but since we are actually cooking the food I would like to be able to eat it at some point and I had to keep it simple since I know you two at least don't know how to cook much." She glared at them from across the table.

"Fair enough." They both chimed.

Hoshiko leaned over to Haruhi, "Just focus on cooking and interacting with me."

"I'm not nervous."

"Tell that to your knees, I can hear them shaking." She smirked at her friend.

"Just remember guys, the cameras aren't here." Roger yelled then, "Camera Rolling! Action!"

The song started and she began quietly singing to the song so that the lip movements actually matched. As the song began to pick up she started smiling and dancing with Haruhi and as the chorus hit she began jumping around in a circle while cooking and dancing with Hunny and everyone else seemed to be having fun dancing and cooking. She looked at the twins and began singing to them and pointing at them from over the stove and then moved to Tamaki and Kyoya making them enjoy themselves too. She spun Hunny around and as the song went slow and sounded like it was going to end she put flour on her finger and put it on Takashis nose and everyone started laughing as he inspected what was on his nose.

He knew that the song wasn't over and grabbed a hand full of flour and amazingly managed to match the music throwing the flour on her cheek. She looked at him shocked and threw a handful back at him, getting some on Hunny. The twins caught on to where this was going and took two handfuls of flour and threw it on that whole side, starting a flour fight as the song ended. Roger called cut and she looked at him, "Well my dear that was perfect. I like these guys. They roll with the punches."

"Thanks!" She laughed.

"Now all we have to do is the ending part of the song of you all sitting down to eat covered in flour it would seem." He smiled and they moved into the living room. He started the song with thirty seconds left and told them all to carry something in to the table and sit down, she was last and sang the last line of the song as she looked around the table to her friends. He yelled cut again.

"Well I don't think we could get anymore cheesy friendship than that!" She laughed with everyone.

"I think we're good on shots. This is a first for your shoots, normally they aren't this easy." Roger said to her.

"Well simple seems to be working lately." She smiled at him as the crew began packing up.

"This means that I can take a flight back home tonight to get this to the editing room so that the record company will leave you alone for a little bit." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to go back that soon, I'm sure you're still exhausted from the flight here." She was surprised at his statement.

"I am, but I bid on this so that they would give you some time to relax which is why I wanted to get it done as soon as possible." He hugged her, "You may be inheriting a multi-million dollar company and be a famous singer, but that doesn't mean you aren't a seventeen year old girl that should enjoy her time in high school."

"Thanks." She hugged him back.

"You guys take care of my little girl." Roger waved to them, then caught her rolling her eyes, "Even if you aren't mine or little, that doesn't mean I don't still care about you."

"I know, I love you too, Roger." She smiled at him, knowing that he would never say it to her. Shutting the door she turned around and took a good look at her friends that were still covered in flour, "I'll show you all to your rooms so you can clean up."

Hunny and Takashi were the last two that she showed them their rooms and Hunny skipped inside his. Takashi watched as she headed for her own room, he wanted to say something to her, they had barely spoken since he told her how he felt. He didn't know what else to say, "You looked good today. It was nice seeing you happy."

"Thanks. Even though you were the reason." She smiled at him then realized how it sounded, "All of you guys were!"

"Do you still practice Kendo?" He turned to look at her straight on, "You were my favorite partner."

"Well I haven't in a while, but I could always use some." She smiled at him, "You're a lot taller than me now so it might make us more unmatched but there is a gym here we can use."

"I had force, you were quick." He put his hand on the doorknob, "Let me know when you would like to practice."

"Well we could once we clean up, the others were talking about going swimming down stairs and the gym is on the balcony above it, and Hunny was going to join after he took his nap." She informed him and he nodded to her with a smile.

* * *

He was waiting for her in the gym looking down watching the others. Takashi couldn't stop thinking about her, about how when she smiled her green eyes sparkled and how light brown hair flowed in the wind or when she danced, or how she felt in his arms at the beach. He couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't said anything to him yet. Her voice came from behind him, "Hey sorry, I had a call from the company."

"It's fine." He said turning to see her and she wasn't wearing anything like the loose clothing she used to wear at the dojo, it was a tank top and yoga pants while he was wearing sweat pants and a sleeveless shirt. When she walked up to him he saw a white mark on her cheek and gently wiped it off with his thumb and she looked confused, "Flour."

"Ah. So what are the rules for today? I haven't sparred in a long time." She said tossing him a shinai.

"The way we used to?" He asked testing the weight.

"Alright, so no hitting below the belt and we don't have to use just the shinai?" She clarified since when the two of them were alone the never exactly followed Kendo rules and he nodded. They both took their starting stances and before they started she said, "Bear with me until I get back into the swing of it, I've been mixing dancing in with this for years now."

He nodded and she waited, he had always made the first move. When she saw his foot move she was out of his way in an instant. Takashi noticed just from that she was faster now. She went in for the next strike and he blocked, he was still stronger than her though, but he knew the power was in her legs, he pushed her back and she went back at him. He was surprised, she had never gone for an attack twice in a row before. This was going to make for an interesting match.

After 30 minutes they were both dripping in sweat and neither of them had landed a hit yet. They were both breathing hard and she went in for a leg sweep but hit a pool of sweat on the ground and she slipped and he fell down on top of her. He looked down at her as her face held only a small amount of lingering pain, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." She said looking up at him, realizing that he was on top of her.

He couldn't help himself, her lips looked so tempting and he began to lower himself to her, knowing that on the ground no one would be able to see them from downstairs and saw her eyes began to widen.

She could feel her shinai at her fingertips and her eyes widened in realization, she could catch him off guard. She grasped the bamboo sword in her right hand and used her left leg and hip to roll over on top of him with the shinai at his neck. When she realized he was in shock from what she had done and that he didn't have his sword anymore she couldn't help but ask, "Did I actually just win?"

He nodded with a smile and she rolled off of him lying on the ground still out of breath, "How?!"

"You're more assertive now." He looked over at her and she looked back confused, "You've always been the defense, only responding to an attack, now you see an opportunity and strike."

"That wasn't even a strike, you're still stronger than me." She laughed, "And you probably always will be."

"You'll always be faster." He smiled back at her. He wished he had been able to kiss her, but he shouldn't have let his guard down like that in the middle of a match. He couldn't help but wonder if she knew that's what he was going for and she that was her way of stopping him.

"I really need a shower now." She said lifting herself up and he just nodded in agreement. She walked over to the banister that over looked the pool and yelled down at her friends, "Dinners at 6!"

They all acknowledged that they heard her and she headed for her room.

* * *

The next morning they were all at breakfast and as Kimiko refilled Hikarus coffee the doorbell rang, they all looked towards the door. Kimiko headed to open it, "Are you expecting anyone ma'am?"

"No." Hoshiko stood to see who it was but she heard the male voice say his name before she saw him, "Jason?"

Everyone at the table saw her freeze. Kimiko welcomed him in and Hoshiko still couldn't move, not until she saw him, his blue eyes and sandy blonde hair, she didn't even realize that her legs had been moving until he caught her in his arms. Takashi could see as she held on to this man, he couldn't be more than twenty-two, and she held onto him as if her life depended on it.

Jason spoke perfect Japanese, "Hoshiko… You left, you left without even saying goodbye or telling me where you were going. Roger was the one that told me where you even were."

"I'm sorry." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked up at him, "It was easier that way, for the both of us."

"But you went through losing him alone," He held her face, and Takashi felt numb, was this man the reason she hadn't responded to any of his advances? Jasons own eyes watered, "and this is something you shouldn't have to do alone."

"I know…" Her voice shook, "But I'm not allowed to see you or even talk to you…"

"What?!" He yelled.

"She managed to get it into my contract."

He grew angry, "That bitch! Where is she?!"

"Not here, she's never here." Even though her tears had stopped flowing her voice still shook.

"So she wants you to go through this alone?" His heart dropped, "I knew what you said about her, but this… this is horrible."

"Well I'm not alone," She looked at her friends, "She didn't count on them."

Kaoru leaned over to Haruhi, "Who is he?"

"I don't know, but Jason does sound familiar." Haruhi answered, trying to place his name.

Takashi could see that clearly these two cared for each other, so perhaps it was the best, he was American and that's where she would probably return to once she graduated, so she would be happy with him. But it didn't stop the pain in his chest.

Jason was still looking at the group and stood up straight, "So if she finds out about us seeing each other today, she'll take everything?"

"Dads entire legacy will go to her."

"Then I guess I should be on my way." He smiled wiping one last tear away from her cheek.

"But you came all this way!"

"I've got a job out in Okinawa for a few weeks. I just needed to find you before I went there." He said releasing her from his grasp and began walking back towards the door.

She watched him go, but couldn't leave it like this. Hoshiko called out his name and he turned just as she wrapped her arms around him one last time, "Five more months."

"I know." He smiled placing a kiss on her forehead, "Don't let her break you."

"I never break, I just get a new crack." She smiled reassuringly at him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said opening the door and heading for his car.

Despite how shocked everyone was about them saying they loved each other Kimiko still walked up to her as she stared out the door, "Ms. Delany, are you alright?"

She didn't say anything as she shut the door and as she turned around trying to head back to the table her legs gave out and she fell to her knees bracing herself on hands. They all called out her name and she just mumbled, "I'm a horrible person."

"No you're not." Kimiko knelt down beside her.

"I just had to make my brother, who I haven't seen in close to a year, leave so that I wouldn't lose everything our father worked for!" She slammed her fist on the ground.

"Your brother?" Takashi couldn't stop himself from asking, feeling guilty at the relief washing over him.

"Half-brother actually. From my father's lover before he married my mother." She sat back on her legs, "He gave up all but one fifth of his share of his inheritance, and he wanted me to have it all, he doesn't want anything to do with music, he's always loved film more."

"You heard what he asked of you," Kyoya said walking over to her putting a hand out to her, "Don't let her break you, especially not like this. We can't work together if we don't have a business."

She could see his smirk and straightened her shoulders taking his hand, "You've really been trying to make me reconsider this dress up Friday haven't you?"

"Well yes, but none of us want to see you lose it all to a woman that treats you like she does, when you deserve much better." Kyoya smiled at her.

"Be careful there Kyoya, I may vomit." She spoke dryly before heading back to the table, "I apologize about that guys, I-"

"Nothing to apologize about." Haruhi smiled at her.

"Mmm." Takashi couldn't help but reassure her and everyone was quick to follow as they finished breakfast.

"You guys are awesome." She spoke under her breath, not wanting to be sappy despite how thankful she was to have all of them, but even though she had said it quietly they all had heard her, and they all smiled without letting her know they heard.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: All I'm gunna say is be sure to let me know what you think :D**

They were one day into their stay in Karuizawa and Hoshiko went to do some shopping while Haruhi did chores around the bed and breakfast. She walked in the door of Pension Misuzu and noticed the whole host club in the lobby and sighed, "I swear it's like you have six stalkers that travel in a pack."

"Tell me about it." Haruhi rolled her eyes, "What all did you get?"

"Just some new clothes, and a few things for Kimiko and you of course." She smiled at her friend, "Let me go put these up and I'll help you fold those sheets, they should be dry by now."

"Alright."

After placing the bags in her room she headed back down to the side of the house and helped her friend as they rolled their eyes at Tamaki as he tried to fix a fence and was losing refresher points for it. Haruhi grinned at her though, "I'm sure you like having Takashi around though."

"I don't know. What he said to me was so cryptic, I have no clue what he mean about there being someone else he cared about. Like yes, I feel like it was directed at me, there would be no other reason to tell me if it weren't, but saying it then walking out the door like he did made it seem like perhaps it was a sisterly thing. We have known each other for a while, so it would make sense." She sighed bringing two corners together.

"Yeah but look at the couple that we helped get together your first week here, they had been engaged their whole life and were in love so that doesn't really mean anything." Haruhi shrugged.

"I guess." She walked towards her friend with the sheet corners in her hands, "I guess I was hoping that maybe some time apart would give me time to think about it without seeing him every day, we're in the same class, and then the club, I'm always going to be foggy if he's around so I was hoping for some clarity."

"And that he would miss you no doubt." She smirked.

"Shut up." Hoshiko laughed. "So I have a question…"

"Yes?"

"I need a 'girl' opinion on an outfit because I'm horrible at stuff like that." Hoshiko blushed.

"I'm not much better but you can go change?" Haruhi smiled at her and she headed up stairs.

She pulled the dress out of the box and groaned, speaking to herself, "You are just appeasing her so that she will leave you alone."

She changed and did her hair and headed back down stairs, avoiding any of the guys at all costs. When she saw Haruhi she cursed since she was talking to Kyoya, if he saw her she would never hear the end of it. She snuck over by the door that was behind him and tried to signal to Haruhi but she was too busy talking, so she opened the door slightly, "Ruhi, come here."

They both looked over and Haruhi froze at the sight of the Hoshiko in a dress and Kyoya couldn't help himself. He spoke loud enough so everyone outside could hear him, "Oh my, Delany-senpai is that a dress?"

"Damn it Kyoya!" She opened the door and walked out once every one of the members was looking at her now. Takashi looked up from his wood chopping and couldn't help but blush looking at her, she wore a mint green dress that was just above her knee and synced at the waist with a halter top. Her hair was also down and she had lip gloss and eyeliner on, she looked stunning and her black strappy stilettos made her legs look amazing. He knew he had to make a move soon, even if he wasn't sure how she felt, someone would come along and take her away if he didn't. Haruhi was finally coming out of shock when Hoshiko asked, "How stupid does it look?"

"Not at all, you look great Shiko." She had never seen her best friend look this dressed up, or even in a dress, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was for Takashi, "What's the occasion?"

"My mother has set me up on a date with a potential suitor." She leaned on the table but her head turned towards the loud thump that came from her left and everyone saw that Takashi had missed the piece of wood he had been trying to chop. Their eyes connected for a moment and she felt sad, it was one of the reasons she hasn't wanted anyone to see her dressed up, they weren't even supposed to be there in the first place. She looked away from his beautiful face and steel grey eyes and instead looked at the wood beneath her feet, "He wouldn't agree to an engagement before meeting me so she told me that I had to look my best, she never told me I had to act my best."

"But what if you really like him?" Haruhi asked.

"I doubt I will but if I do and he actually likes me and isn't just after my money then he'll be willing to wait until after I'm eighteen." She shrugged.

"Where are you guys going?" Her best friend asked.

"I don't know. He just said he would be picking me up in about an hour." She said but then Haruhi got called over by Misuzu and Hoshiko looked down at Kyoya, "Do me a favor?"

"Of course." He smiled at her, "If you're sure to owe me one."

"Of course." She grinned back and leaned over the table, "Dig up what you can on the Nakamura's, that's the surname of the boy I'm going out with tonight."

"What's his first name?" Kyoya said writing it down.

"Katashi. Text me whatever you find. I'd like to know why they are trying to do business with my mother." She stood back up straight. He nodded and she took her leave heading back upstairs to finish getting ready. Hoshiko bumped into someone while she was deep in thought and looked up to see Takashi, "Oh, sorry."

"It's alright." He smiled at her, having bumped into her on purpose when he could see that she was distracted by something, "You look amazing."

"Oh, thank you." She couldn't help but blush and a lock of hair fell in her face. He reached up and moved it, tucking it behind her ear.

"I hope tonight goes how you want it to." She wasn't sure if she heard sadness in his voice or not.

"I'm hoping he finds me completely unattractive." She smiled sadly.

"That'd be impossible." He put his arms around her and she was frozen in shock. She was beginning to think that it wasn't the sisterly way that he cared about her and that made her heart beat fast and her face flush. He didn't have to bend down much to speak in her ear, "Be careful tonight, please."

"I will Mori." She hugged him back and finished walking down the hallway to her room. She sat down on the bed and thought about what had just happened, his scent was in her nose and his warmth was still wrapped around her but she had to forget all of it soon to appease her mother.

* * *

Takashi was still at Pension Misuzu when she left. He didn't even pick her up in a car, which meant he was going to make her walk and this angered him more than it should. Haruhis words echoed in his mind, about what if she liked him, and he didn't want to stomach the thought. The sun began to go down and by the time he dropped Hunny at his cottage and arrived at his own home it was barely light out, but he couldn't sit still. His maid came over to where he had been pacing, wondering about whether to text her or not, "Sir, are you alright?"

"I'm going for a walk." He said heading for the door, he didn't want them worrying or being bothered anymore and outside he could walk in peace.

It was completely dark by the time he decided he should head back to the cottage. When he rounded a corner he saw her there in the arms of the man she had left the bed and breakfast with. He froze when he saw the man's lips on hers and felt his heart stop beating. He instantly felt a rage come over him though when he saw her knee hit his chest and her trying to pull away. He moved faster than he ever had before and ripped the man off of her, slamming him into the fence and growled at him, "Reject the marriage proposal and never contact her again unless you want to deal with the Morinozukas."

The boy's eyes widened, and Hoshiko was a little shocked hearing him say that much to someone that wasn't her or Hunny. The boy quickly tried to get out of Takashis grasp but his anger wouldn't let him go just yet, until he remembered Hoshiko and pushed the boy away from where they were. He looked to see Hoshiko on her knees in shock and he bent down to her, and gently grabbed her shoulders, "Are you alright?"

"I-I think so." She looked up at him, shaking slightly and he pulled her into his arms and she just curled up into him.

"What happened?" He held her tight, never wanting to let her go.

"He proposed to me." She muttered and he went stiff, "I said no of course and I don't know what happened, he got either angry or desperate, Kyoya texted me saying that his family was on the verge of losing everything from a law suit. He said he was going to make sure that I said yes. I wasn't expecting it, he caught me off guard and that's about when you showed up."

Takashi knew that she couldn't go home like this that she needed time to recover and so he put his arm under her legs and picked her up. She clutched his shirt at first but as his scent and warmth washed over her she relaxed and curled up into his body. When they reached his cottage he set her down on the ground and she followed him inside and his maid welcomed him home, "Ah you brought a friend, do either of you need anything?"

"Would you like to change?" He asked her knowing she probably wanted to get out of that dress.

"Yes, but I shouldn't so no thank you." She gave him a small smile.

"Tea with mint, please." He told the maid and she left. He offered Hoshiko his hand and she took it as he led her to the back porch of the home when he motioned as to where she wanted to sit she blushed.

"The stairs would be nice, we can get a good view of the stars from there." He nodded and they both sat down. He reached over, not even thinking and put the hair that was in her face behind her ear, "I guess I should put it up, shouldn't I?"

"You look beautiful with it down." He smiled his face flushing slightly, "You always look beautiful, but more so when it's down."

"Mori-" She started, but he interrupted her, which he had never done before.

"Takashi." He looked forward still embarrassed from his previous statement, "I liked it when you called me Takashi."

"Oh, okay. Takashi, thank you." She looked down at her knees which were angled towards him so she could see his long legs extended down the stairs, "You always look out for me and are always there when I need you somehow and I don't know how or why you do it but thank you."

"You don't need to thank me." He looked up at the stars, after tonight he didn't want to wait any longer, "I care about you, I'll always be there."

"But how." She looked up at him, "In what way do you care?"

His head snapped to look at her and saw the confusion and struggle in her eyes, she hadn't understood what he had meant when he told her about that other girl? He had never been good being able to tell people how he felt. Takashi decided that this time he would let his actions speak for him and wrapped an arm around her waist and the other around her upper back, cradling her head as he pulled her to him and pressed his lips to hers.

At first she was so shocked by his sudden movement that she didn't respond but once she realized that it had finally happened, that she had an answer to the weeks of wondering and couldn't help but smile as she kissed him back. He had pulled most of her weight onto him so she clung to his shirt and her other hand was on his neck, and she could feel his pulse was just as fast as hers. When he broke this kiss, but didn't let her go she couldn't help but let out a laugh, "Ah, so that way."

"Mmhmm." He smiled too and cupped her face, she felt perfect in his arms, she didn't belong anywhere else. He nuzzled his nose to hers and placed another soft kiss on her lips, his voice was low and soft as he asked, "Hoshiko, be mine?"

"Takashi." Was all she could respond as her face erupted in red and she looked away so he couldn't see.

"I don't say much and spend most of my time with Mitsukuni, but I've felt this way for a long time." He brought her face back to look at him, "Will you give me the chance to fall in love with you?"

"Yes." She said as a smile broke out across her face, "I don't care how much you say, I say enough for the both of us honestly, and as for Hunny I think it's sweet you guys are as close as you are, you and he are like Haruhi and I, and I would never want you to change that for me. But I do want you to promise that you'll never try and punish yourself if something ever happens to me like a cavity."

He couldn't help but to return her smile with a light laugh, "Promise."

This time when he kissed her she could feel the happiness in it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her as close to him as he could. As they sat there locked together the world around them disappeared, they didn't even hear when the maid came out through the back door, "Oh, my apologies, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Takashi sadly let her go, "It's fine. You can set the tea down here."

The maid did as she was told and he handed Hoshiko a cup before taking one for himself. She scooted to where she was sitting right next to him and he couldn't stop himself from giving her a kiss on her temple. Letting out a happy sigh she leaned her head on his shoulder, "So are you and Hunny planning on going to the same college?"

"I don't think so." He said taking a sip of tea, "I was thinking of law, Mitsukuni hasn't decided yet."

"You would do very well with law I think." She smiled, "You have the brain for it and you care about people."

"I assume you aren't going to college." He set his tea down and put his arm behind her, letting her have his chest to lean on instead of his shoulder.

"I don't know yet. I'd like to go to learn more about music, the science and emotion of it. Plus it might be good to have at least a few business classes since I'm going to be running a company." She nuzzled closer to him, "But I'll be around that's for sure."

He looked down and saw her smiling up at him, "Good."

Takashi pressed his lips to hers again once she finished her tea and felt her suppress a yawn, "Come on, I'll take you back."

"Okay, I know that if she's still up, Haruhi is probably worried about me." She said accepting his help up and once she was she was in his arms and his lips pressed against hers.

"That'll never get old." He put the lock of hair back behind her ear again and she couldn't help but smile at him as he took her hand and led her through the house.

He kissed her one last time before she got out of the car and she went inside the bed and breakfast to find Haruhi waiting up for her, "You were out late."

"Yeah sorry, I didn't keep you up did I?" She smiled at her friend who had a cup of tea waiting for her.

"Technically yes, but I don't mind." Haruhi grinned at her, "So did your date go the way you wanted."

Hoshiko thought about all that had happened, and her mind lingered on Takashi's lips on hers and she let a small smile grace her lips, "Better."


	8. Chapter 8

They had been following Haruhi and Hikaru on their date and while she had never followed her best friend before, she had to admit it was interesting. She was impressed by the younger twin's thoughts and intentions for the cause of the date. Hoshiko couldn't help but notice Takashi walked next to her all day and only left her side when he went somewhere with Hunny, but would always glance down at her first. When they headed back Hoshiko heard a rumble of thunder out in the distance and began to get worried.

* * *

She watched as the rain poured and even though she hid her worry better than Tamaki, Takashi could tell that she was concerned about something. When the boy from the day before called to ask if Hikaru and Haruhi had made it back alright and said that she ran off after the twin right before it started raining Hoshiko felt her blood begin pumping. Once Tamaki got off the phone and she realized that Hikaru wasn't with Haruhi her legs began moving towards the door, she felt a hand on her wrist and even though she saw it was Takashi she refused to stop, "Let go!"

And she was out the door running in the rain looking for her friend. Hoshiko ran and ran but never saw either the twin or her friend, but someone pointed her in the direction that Hikaru went and she followed the path calling out either of their names.

Hikaru heard someone yelling their names and he signaled to Haruhi he would be right back. He opened the door to the church and called to Hoshiko and she ran over towards him, "Did you find her?"

"Yeah, I've got her wrapped in a blanket and listening to music." Hikaru looked ashamed.

"Okay, I'll get us a ride back then." She patted the boy on the shoulder, knowing that he probably felt bad enough as is.

When the taxi showed up Haruhi looked angry with her best friend but wanted to wait until she was home to say anything, and the second she walked through the door, she did, "Are you stupid? You've already been sick once this year! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Oh look who's talking!" Hoshiko took the blanket offered by Misuzu and noticed that Takashi wasn't in the room, "You can't even move during a storm but you go running out into it! What if you had been frozen in the street somewhere? Or worse what if something had happened to you because you couldn't move?!"

"None of that is worth your health though!" Haruhi yelled back at her as Takashi came down the stairs.

"You idiot! Don't you forget who would always try to be there for you during storms because I knew you were always alone! You're my family Haruhi! I would die for you if it was needed so don't you ever tell me that you aren't worth it for me to go chasing after because whether you like it or not I will always go looking for you!" Hoshiko yelled louder than any of them had ever heard her get before.

It had been years since Hoshiko had called her anything other than Ruhi and Haruhi understood, "I forget that you are always worried about me, that it's your constant state of being when it comes to me. And you're right, because I would run out into a thunderstorm for you despite it being my worst fear, because your family to me too."

"Damn straight. Now go and get changed, you'll catch cold if you don't." Hoshiko pointed to the stairs and Haruhi couldn't help but smile at her.

"You too." Takashi said picking her up, knowing that she needed to get warm just in case she had gotten sick. He carried her up the stairs and into her room and put her down right next to the bathroom, "Towels are in there."

"Takashi-" She went to apologize for yelling at him but he stopped her.

"Take a bath, I've run one for you, I'll be back once you're done." He said leaving the room and she felt as if she wanted to cry.

When she walked into the bathroom she smiled at the steaming bathtub and couldn't help but notice the dark blue rose in a small vase next to it. She peeled her clothes off right before her shivers started and she dipped her body into the warm water and sighed. Knowing that she would enjoy it more if she was sure that Takashi wasn't mad at her she pulled her knees into her chest and sighed into the water creating bubbles.

Once she was all warmed up she got out of the bath, wrapped herself in a towel and proceeded to dry her hair then put it up in a low ponytail. Exiting the bathroom she headed for the dresser and quickly changed. There was a knock on the door just as she was putting on her shirt, "Just a moment."

There was no response so she knew who it was and finished putting her arm in her sleeve as she walked over to open the door to see Takashi standing there. She motioned for him to come in and closed the door. He looked at straight ahead, "How are you feeling."

"Fine, I don't think I'm going to get sick." She smiled and opened her mouth but he spoke first.

"You should rest tonight just in case."

"Yeah." She said then placed her hand gently on his arm and when he looked down at her he saw that she was looking down at the floor, "I'm sorry for snapping at you before I left."

He wrapped his arms around her, "I'm sorry for trying to stop you. You told me that Haruhi is as important as Mitsukuni is to me, and you've said you won't get in the way our friendship, I shouldn't come in between yours. I was worried about you getting sick."

"I know and that's why I shouldn't have snapped on you and I'm so sorry for that, I was just worried about her. I promise I'll never snap like that again." She looked up at him.

"I promise I'll never try to stop you like that again." He leaned down and kissed her, he had to lean down a little further this time since she wasn't in heels like the last time but he didn't care. She snaked her arms around his neck running one hand through his hair. They didn't hear the door open but when she heard Hunny say Takashis name she instantly separated herself from him.

Hunny was sure to shut the door before he ran over and jumped on to Takashi, "YOU FINALLY DID IT!"

"Yeah." Was all Takashi said his face covered in a blush.

"It took you two long enough!" He smiled looking at Hoshiko, "I guess that means you don't need me anymore do you Takashi."

She knew the boy was only joking but she still felt like she had to say it, "Takashi and I's relationship won't bother yours with him Hunny, I swear."

"But it should." Hunny beamed at her, "You should take more of his time, and I know that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you and not me!"

"Mitsukuni." Takashi muttered and she couldn't help but laugh at how red his face was.

"Sorry Takashi but it's true," Hunny slid down to the floor, "Plus I want to see you happy, I've noticed it over the past day or so that you've looked different and I want that for you, you're my best friend!"

"Thanks." Takashi was still blushing.

"I'll leave now so you guys can go back to that." Hunny said skipping towards the door, "I won't tell anyone! The less people that know until you're eighteen the less chance your mother will find out!"

Hoshiko smiled knowing the boy was right, "Hunny, why don't you give us fifteen minutes then we'll be down for some cake?"

"Okay!" He said giggling out the door.

"You should rest though." Takashi looked down at her.

"I won't stay down their long I promise." She said taking a step towards him, "We have fifteen minutes though."

He felt the blush come back slightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck again. He couldn't believe that she was his and that he could have ever have gotten so lucky. Pressing his lips to hers he felt her smile as she ran fingers through his hair. He reached up and grabbed the band holding her pony tail up and slipped it from her head, freeing her hair.

Her hair was still damp as he ran his fingers through it, but he didn't care. Hoshiko went up on her tip toes to try and help him from bending down as much. Taking the opportunity of her being closer to him Takashi wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing her body closer to his. She couldn't help but smile, she knew he would be tender and sweet, but she never thought he would be so attentive so fast.

Takashi felt her smile and separated their lips, but he still held her close. She ran her fingers down his cheek and he couldn't help but smile too as she looked back up at him, the corner of her lip in between her teeth. He watched as she began to blush with him staring at her, "Takashi…"

"Hmm?" He ran a lock of hair through his fingers.

"Can I admit something embarrassing?" She blushed even more looking away from him.

"Mmhmm."

"That song I was writing…the one that you read…" She looked back up at him, he tried not to smile at how nervous she was, "It was about you…"

He pressed his lips back to hers and held her even closer, "I'd hoped."

She couldn't help but laugh at his slight blush. Leaning up to give him another kiss her head landed on his chest as her phone began to ring. Takashi gave her a kiss on the head before she turned to head to her phone, "Delany. Yes, I'm on vacation but when I return home I'll be in contact with him. Yes, of course, I look forward to seeing you in August."

When she shut off her phone she turned to see him looking at her slightly concerned, she smiled reassuringly, "Awards ceremony and performance."

She turned to look at the clock and smiled, "Hunny will be waiting for us. We should go down."

"Yeah." He said and as they walked to the door he picked her up and swung her around, hearing her laugh before giving her a quick kiss, "I won't be able to when I leave."

"I guess I'll let you get away with it then." She smiled as he set her back on the ground.

"Be sure to get your rest." He said closing the door behind her.

* * *

Haruhi and Hoshiko were sitting on the couch by the fire after everyone left. She had her legs pulled into her chest, a smile lingering on her lips that Haruhi was sure to notice. Her friend looked at her with questioning eyes, "So you and Mori-senpai were upstairs talking for a while."

"Mhmm." Was all the answer she got.

"Are you really going to Mori-senpai me right now?" Haruhi nudged her. "You really aren't going to tell me what happened? Was it awkward silence? Did you confess your love for him?"

Hoshiko laughed, "No, but we did kiss…"

"WHAT?!" Haruhi shoved her and she began laughing.

"Only Hunny knows about it and now you. We don't want it to get out because we don't want my mom getting word of it." She resituated on the couch.

"So when were you going to tell me? The day of the wedding?" Haruhi shoved her again.

Hoshiko laughed, shoving back, "Of course not. I wanted to wait until we were alone and that it wasn't just a fluke."

"How would it have been a fluke?"

Hoshiko explained about her date and how Takashi told her how he felt, "I wanted to make sure it wasn't just because of what happened, but after today, I know that it's real. And that makes it harder to talk about."

"What do you mean?" Haruhi turned to face her.

"I know I'm happy with him and I know that just thinking about him makes me happy, but he scares me so much. I've never really liked anyone like that before and with the fragile state of my contract…"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone and neither will Hunny, not when we understand how important your work is to you and how important you two are to each other." She pulled her best friend into a hug, "Promise me you won't let fear get in the way of this, you've never let it stop you before."

"I don't think my heart would let me if I tried." Hoshiko laughed.

* * *

Hoshiko was looking for Haruhi at the expo when realized she was thirsty. She headed for a small restaurant and wasn't surprised to see Haruhi in there, but was surprised to see Kyoya with her. Walking up to them she saw Kyoya give the girl taking their order an icy stare and his bitterest tone. She couldn't help but let out a laugh, "Well damn, Kyoya, who pissed in your coffee this morning."

He turned to glare at her but she was unscathed, "Let me guess, a tall blonde, halfwit named Tamaki?"

"Yes, and he is a dead man." Kyoyas gaze eased, the girl had begun to grow on him and he knew she was attempting to lighten his unforgiveable mood, but it only slightly worked, slightly.

She found him so entertaining at lunch, he was so monotone and uncaring, and it was hard for her to keep from laughing out loud. She walked in silence with them, enjoying the last day she had of freedom and couldn't hold back her laughter anymore when he said that he was an excellent product of breeding, "I'm sure your parents would love to hear their relationship known as breeding."

"Was their love in the making of you? Or was it just to have someone to carry on the legacy?" He looked at her and she knew he was trying to push her buttons but it wasn't going to work.

"Possibly either one or both." She smiled, "But that sure did backfire for my mom didn't it!"

He couldn't help but think about the truth in her statement, how she was in fact defying her mother, and perhaps even her father by following her own dreams. Her father may have wanted her to realize her dreams but he knew at some point she would have a bunch of responsibility placed on her, but now she was a famous artist and may not be able to do that. She may never carry on either of their legacies.

She herself listened as he talked about his brothers and couldn't imagine how hard he would work at helping her run her father's company as a competition with her brothers, and she would have to be sure that he never lost to them, the Delany name would be attached to it after all.

Hoshiko had been pulled away for a moment by a few fans asking for autographs and returned to Haruhi and Kyoya in time for them to hear an announcement for a lost child that was about him. She couldn't help but bust out laughing and continued to snicker the whole way to the information desk. He glared at her, "You really can stop laughing now."

"But your face was so funny." She laughed again as Tamaki cried, happy to see Kyoya again. Hunny and the twins came over to them and she tried to suppress her laugher at Kyoyas annoyance as Takashi walked over to them. She listened as Haruhi told him how he's actually a nice guy but hides and Hoshiko turned to look at him, a smirk on her face, "She's right, I wouldn't let my father's company into the hands of a jerk."

She followed behind Haruhi, who the twins and Hunny were following now, and Takashi followed her. Kyoya was only a little surprised by the fact that she was even considering having him help run her father's company.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it's a bit short this is a busy holiday for me but I made sure to write for you guys :3**

She sat on the window sill, writing as Chika came in fighting Hunny. She only moved when the fighting came over near her. When Chika pulled out a staff Haruhi yelled, "Wait that should be against the rules!"

"There are rules?" She asked and Haruhi gave her a questioning look.

"You know more about this stuff than I do!"

"I don't know about random fights in the club room! This is the first I'm seeing it too!" She lightly shoved her friend and they watched as Chika sent Hunny flying through the air.

Everyone thought he had won but she knew better, she had only sparred with Hunny a few times in their youth but she knew that the boy was fast enough to avoid that strike.

Renge of course had the instant replay somehow.

"Where does he carry those?" Hoshiko wondered aloud heading back to her seat.

She listened to the harsh words that the younger brother spoke about Hunny, and she could see the look on his face. She looked up at Takashi and he just gave her a small smile, showing that Hunny would be okay.

Following along with the group, mostly to spend time with Takashi, since they only had brief moments in the dressing rooms now that school had started again, she stayed in the background with him until Hunny and Chika decided that they would fight to settle the issue, in which she took a place next to Takashi as he explained about the brothers fighting styles. When Takashi was wrong about Hunny and fell to the ground, beaten, she knelt down next to him and placed an arm on his back, "It's alright Takashi, and no one can predict who will give the hardest blow in mine and my brothers fights either."

They went back to the club room and gathered up their things to go home and she had an idea, "Takashi, do you think you could help me with my statistics homework? I'm still having a hard time with it."

He knew what she was getting at, "Yeah."

They waved goodbye to everyone and went to her house. Before they went in he stopped her, "Is it safe?"

"Yeah, no cameras and Kimiko is like a sister to me now." She smiled at his concern as she opened the door. After calling the girls name and not getting a response she looked back up at him, "And it appears she isn't even home."

He followed her into the living room of the house and set his bag down along with hers. Takashi wrapped his arms around her for a moment, having missed the feeling and she returned the gesture, smiling up at him, "So do you want a formal tour of the house or something?"

"Later." He cupped her face seeing how tired she was from all the work she had been doing with her performance preparation. She had told him that she was collaborating with a few artist from different countries and he knew it had been leaving her little time to sleep, "Let's watch a movie?"

"That sounds good." She replied and he got a blanket as she got the movie ready. Once it was ready to play he laid down on the couch with his shoulders against the arm and pulled her down to lay on top of him. Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh and he smiled as he held his arms up, waiting for her to get comfortable.

After a moment she was curled up on her side with her head just below his chin laying on his chest, a hand lying next to it and the other tucked under his arm. Her hips were aligned with his and her legs bent enough so that his didn't have to be straight and he could also be comfortable. Once she had settled he pulled the blanket over them covering her almost to her shoulders, "Comfortable?"

"Very." She smiled, snuggling up more to his neck and chest.

He could feel himself blush as she did this but he still wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Within fifteen minutes of the movie starting she had fallen asleep and he was happy his plan had worked. Takashi had never felt better, not when he won his kendo championship, not any moment he could remember, it's as if she was meant to be laying there. They fit together perfectly like two puzzle pieces that were never meant to be taken back apart.

Watching the movie as she slept he heard when Kimiko got home. When she came in the room he lifted his finger to his mouth, she saw Hoshiko sleeping and gave a thumbs up with a smile. Kimiko had always wondered if there was something between those two just based off of the few interactions she had seen. As she backed out of the room quietly she ran her fingers over lips as if to zip them showing that she won't tell anyone about the two of them. He went back to relaxing with Hoshiko lightly taking some of his shirt in her hand and smiling.

The movie ended and he didn't have the heart to wake her up but wished he could turn the movie off so that the music wouldn't wake her up. As he reached for the remote she began to stir on his chest then stretched her whole body and his heart stopped as her hips moved against his. She looked up at him blinking a few times, "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's okay, you seemed tired." He kissed her.

She smiled again, "Yeah different time zones will mess with your sleep schedule."

"I'm sure." He kissed the top of her head.

"I leave on Saturday for a week." She turned to where she was lying flat on his chest looking up at him.

He ran his hand down her hair, "We're going to watch the show. I know you'll win the nominations."

Hoshiko smiled, laying her head down in the crook of his neck, "I don't really care, everyone nominated is really good. I'm just worried about opening the ceremony. We're choreographing everything in that week. Normally we practice for at least a month."

"You'll be amazing. You shine brightest doing what you love." He smiled lifting her face up to look at him. She couldn't help but smile back at him. He leaned down pressing his lips to hers, pulling her close. Hoshiko placed her hand on his neck and as he moved his head to deepen the kiss she could feel his neck straining at the angle they were at.

When she broke the kiss to move his beautiful eyes looked sad for a moment but his arms never left her side as she moved to lay on the edge of the couch. He moved to have his back against the back of the couch and kept a tight grip on her, "You'll fall."

"Only if you let me go." She smiled.

"Never."

"Good." She leaned in and kissed him again.

He was a lot more comfortable in this position and pulled her closer to him. This time she blushed and gasped a little as their hips brushed against each other. Takashi pulled back for a moment to make sure she was alright and when she nodded he pulled her back in, their kisses heated now. A shiver went down his spine as his tongue touched hers. She could feel her heart beating fast as he kissed her deeper and his long arms wrapped around her. He cradled her head to help support it and couldn't stop the moan in his throat as she wrapped a leg over his hip to help keep herself balanced.

Hoshiko took a fistful of his shirt in her hand as his other hand grabbed her butt to pull her closer. As their hips ground together Takashi could feel a burning in the pit of his stomach and he knew what was about to happen. As much as he didn't want to he stopped kissing her, moving his hand to her back, resting his head on her shoulder as he caught his breath. She released his shirt and placed a hand on his head, stroking the back of his head and neck, also trying to slow her breathing. He tried speaking, "I'm sorry…I…-"

"It's alright. It wasn't just you." She whispered in his ear.

He couldn't help but blush hearing her say this and hugged her, "It's not that I don't want to…Just not yet. I want us – you to be ready."

"I understand. I want to wait too."

Takashi pulled away from her but kept his arms loosely around her, "Can I see you when you get back?"

"You only want to wait a week and a half?" She smirked.

"No- That's not wha-" He stuttered, his face turning red.

She started laughing, "I know. I'm only messing with you."

He smiled still embarrassed and she placed a hand on his cheek, "It'll happen when it happens Takashi. I know you'll take care of me when it does."

Hoshiko could feel her face getting warm and his stayed red thinking about how she's okay and even wanting to have sex with him. She scooted closer and put her head on his chest trying to keep her mind from them being in a bed together, she had never had thoughts like this before until he came back into her life. As she tried to hide her thoughts she asked, "When do you need to be home?"

"Probably soon." He kissed the top of her head.

"I can't wait until I turn eighteen. We might get to have more time together then."

"If this time was all I got for the rest of my life, I'd be fine with it."

She couldn't help but smile, "You're amazing. You know that?"

"Now." He smiled giving her a quick kiss before they sat up and he grabbed his bag.

She walked him to the front door and he gave her another kiss on the temple before leaving. Hoshiko turned around to see Kimiko coming out of the kitchen, "I made dinner a little while ago, I covered it for you if you're hungry."

"Yeah thanks." She tried not to blush.

"So does this mean when I get a boyfriend I can invite him over?" Kimiko smirked.

Hoshiko headed for the kitchen and spoke with a slightly amused voice, "Only when you're a third year in high school. Of course that means you have to actually socialize so you can get a boyfriend."

"Hey! I'm trying!" Kimiko called after her.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Busy busy week, this is a build up chapter but I hope you guys still like it :)**

She was exhausted. They had been practicing their opening number all day and since it was a four song routine she had to admit she was out of practice with the amount of time she was taking off. She was definitely going to start sparing more with Hunny and Takashi to keep up her fitness. While she was drinking water she heard her phone ring. She expected it to be Takashi but instead it was Kyoya, "Hey what's up?"

"I'm cashing in that favor you owe me."

"Alright?" She leaned on the wall.

"I need you to send me that picture of Haruhi being kissed at your first school performance."

"Really? That's it? I would have expected like a kidney or something. But alright." She didn't know what he needed it for but a favor was a favor, she just hoped Haruhi wouldn't be too upset with her. Knowing she should text Haruhi to see what was going on rehearsal was starting again, right now work had to come first and Haruhi had always understood that.

* * *

It was the night of the awards show and everyone was in Music Room 3 to watch it. Takashi was happy that it was just because it was because the room had a big screen for everyone to see and that they weren't entertaining clients at the same time even though Kyoya had said that if they wanted to sit with the guests to help with business they could, but he wouldn't tell them that they had to, as he also wanted to watch Hoshiko perform.

They were watching the red carpet with subtitles on so they could understand everything since it was an American awards show. They all cheered when Hoshiko, or as on screen she was known as Delany, came up to one of the interviewers. She was wearing a dark blue half top that went over one shoulder and covered the opposite side of her torso with the scar on it, but revealing the rest of the skin on her upper body, the skirt she was wearing was white with a high slit to her upper thigh, with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail and very minimal makeup.

 _"Delany! It's been a while! Enjoying your time back in America?"_

 _"Yeah it's been while, longer than I've thought was." She laughs._

 _"I know that you've been practically doing nothing but prepare for this since you've been back in the states, but have you carved out some time for doing things you miss?" The man put the microphone back in front of her._

 _"I'm not going to lie, I missed the food more than I thought I would. Don't get me wrong I missed Japanese food while I was gone from there but when I heard that I was going to be coming back to America for a little bit I started making a list and I have eaten pretty much everything that was on it. I had to work extra hard in practice to not show it too." She covered her mouth with a laugh as everyone around her laughed at her confession._

Everyone in the room watching was laughing with her _._ Hunny leaned over to Takashi, "She's so good at interviews! I'd be so nervous!"

 _"So we know that you have quite a crew tonight for your performance, any hints you can give us?"_

 _"Well I figured that I may never get the chance to do an opening set ever again so I wanted to go big, and that's what we're doing. We've worked really hard and we really want everyone to enjoy it because when we did the full dress rehearsal of it we had so much fun, so we want everyone to have as much fun as we do."_

 _"I'm sure we will, you never disappoint on any of your performances." The interviewer gave her a big smile, "Now last question and I'll let you be on your way, we know that you're working on another album and we heard that the goal for that is early next year, do you have a title for that album yet?"_

 _"I do! The title of the album will be Saisei, which is a Japanese term for rebirth."_

 _"Alright I wonder if that means we'll be getting some new sounds from you early next year!"_

 _"Definitely." She said before waving to the cameras and moving on._

Takashi reached for his phone and texted her as everyone went back to talking waiting for the show to start.

* * *

Hoshiko was in the dressing room changing and heard her phone go off, she smiled to see a text from Takashi saying, "You look lovely, good luck, we're all rooting for you."

* * *

Hikaru leaned over and asked Haruhi what all Hoshiko was nominated for, "She's nominated for Best Pop Video, Best Collaboration, and Best Female Artist."

"Oh she has those in the bag!" Kaoru cheered.

Everyone then quieted down as the opening performance, Hoshikos performance started. Takashi didn't expect it but he was nervous for her. They all watched in amazement as she opened with a routine where they were all in sport rompers doing choreography with basketballs. If this was just the first routine he couldn't imagine what the others were like and now understood why she had been worried about learning that in a week. As a man came out and started rapping she disappeared from the stage, reappearing at the start of the next song on the other side in a different outfit, this song was a little slower and she was with two other people, one American and one Korean all of them singing parts of the song in a different language doing perfectly synchronized choreography that was mesmerizing. Tamaki asked out loud, "Why does she have so many different kinds of people performing with her?"

"To prove a point." Kyoya said with a smirk, "She's been being questioned by some people if she's capable of running the three branches of the company and if they should try and keep her purely in entertainment. By having artists from all branches of the company she's proving not only her loyalty to the artists and the branches but the loyalty she has from her artists that she's capable of doing this. She's gracefully shoving it into everyone who doubts her face. She's better at business than I thought."

Takashi didn't realize that she had been working with so many people over the past few weeks and knew why she was tired. The next routine started and it was just her singing and she was going back and forth between Japanese and English while doing her amazing sword dance even having it light on fire, her backup dancers only having batons. At the end of the song, the black body suit she had been wearing which was loose everywhere but her torso got removed and under it she was wearing a skin tight body suit that was skin toned with orange crystals all over it.

Everyone in the room was amazed with the duet she was singing and the chorography where their and their back up dancer's shoes and props created sparks on the ground and off of each other. Everyone held their breath at one point as she ran at full speed towards the end of the stage only to be caught by her co-singer right on the edge, sending her body momentarily flying over the edge of the stage. At the climax of the song she took her shoes off while preparing for her next phase of performing and an aerial hoop came down at the end of the stage. She ran and was thrown up at the small rope handle hanging from it, catching it as the hoop lit on fire, all the while still singing. The room broke out into cheers as she spun and danced within the hoop, not catching on fire despite touching the ring with her feet and hands. She landed back on the ground and the cheers continued as they all bowed and the announcer came out, _"Remember everyone watching Delany is a professional daredevil and plays with fire often so do not try that at home! I mean seriously, can you imagine what that girls going to once she's eighteen?"_

* * *

Hoshiko smiled at her phone as she read the texts from her friends telling her how great the performance was while sitting in the audience.

* * *

Everyone back at Ouran waited during the first category she was nominated for, Best Collaboration, it was for the first song she had performed in the opening and they watched as she was holding hands with the male artist. Her face was pure shock when their names were called for winning the award. The room cheered as the two artists hugged and made their way up to the stage. Takashi smiled looking at the two accept the award, knowing that the man with her was like a brother to her they had been in the record company together since the beginning and they often got each other's opinions on their music.

She didn't win best pop video but she hugged and congratulated the artist that did, who was a newer artist from her company. Everyone in the room was shocked to hear that Hoshiko was actually the one who discovered her when she gave her speech. The girl also won the best new artist category.

The whole room was quiet with their fingers crossed as it got to the Top Female Artist category. On the screen they could see all of the other artist from her company that were around her having an arm around her or holding her hand, whereas her face wore no nerves just a smile at the ones around her. Takashi knew that the awards weren't really important to her, but he also knew that she was the only artist from her company nominated in the male or female category so this was more for the company than for her.

 _"And the Top Female Artist award goes to…Delany!"_

Takashi couldn't help but laugh at the fact she had won and how everyone was cheering in the room for her. They watched on the screen as she covered her mouth, her hands shaking and tears in her eyes. He knew she was either very shocked she had won or that she had wanted it more than she thought she had, possibly both.

* * *

Hoshiko made her way slowly up to the stage, tears threatening to break through at any moment. When she was handed the award she looked out at the audience of her peers, her friends, and the cameras that she knew linked her to her other friends that weren't there, "Oh, god I don't even know what to say. Thank you all, thank you all so much. This past year has been a tough one for me. This award that I'm holding is a representation of hard work by a lot of different people and they all know who they are and I thank them all from the bottom of my heart, but most of all I want to thank my dad. He's a man that always believed in me, always let me follow my dreams, do what I wanted to do, and supported me and picked me back up when I fell. At the beginning of this year I lost him, the one person that I knew I could depend on 100% and because of that, this is for him. And I think he would be so happy and so relieved to know that I now have other people that I know I can depend on, that I can lean on even though he's here in spirit. He always told me that one day I was going to get this award and I know that he's smiling right now. So this one's for you dad. And the thing that I am the most thankful for is that I had you and that I was lucky enough to be your daughter."

She knew that she had started crying. Her dad would be so proud of her and she knew it. She knew he would be proud of her either way and she wished he had been her date to this ceremony like he had all the others, but she knew that it was his love and inspiration was what got her the award she was now walking off stage with.

* * *

The room had been brought to tears by her speech, even Kyoya had a tear down his cheek. He knew that he was no longer going to try to take a branch in his families business, instead he was going to work with someone who loved what she did as much as Tamaki loves the host club, it was an environment he was used to and liked. Now he would do everything in his power to make her and her father proud while making his own father proud.

After the ceremony Takashi got a text from her with a picture of her two awards saying "I don't have a fireplace so I need somewhere other than my mantle to put these. Suggestions?"

He smiled responding, "Get a display cabinet and put out the others you have."

"I guess that would work. I have to do a talk show tomorrow morning then I'll be on a flight back home. If the others plan on celebrating they have to wait until I'm there to join in!"


	11. Chapter 11

Takashi knocked on her front door in the late afternoon and Kimiko answered, "Oh, Mori-senpai, here to see Hoshiko I'm assuming? She's still sleeping from her trip but I'm sure she won't care if you go up there."

"How long has she been sleeping?" He asked heading for the stairs.

"About five hours."

"Thank you."

When he arrived at her door he quietly opened the door, not wanting to knock and wake her up. She was laying in her bed, still wearing her clothes from the fight he assumed, and saw she had one leg sticking out from under the sheets, her head turned towards one of her arms with hair lying on it. He quietly approached her and pulled the sheets to cover her leg before sitting down slowly on the bed to move her hair out of her face. As his hand gently cupped her face she smiled in her sleep leaning into his hand murmuring his name. Takashi couldn't help but smile and lean down to gently kiss her.

Hoshiko felt lips on hers and recognized the scent of the man kissing her. She smiled sleepily wrapping an arm around his neck. He pulled away and as she opened her eyes she was met by his steel grey eyes and a small smile that only belonged to Takashi. She ran her fingers down his cheek, "I could get used to waking up like this."

"I didn't want to but you said my name."

"I was dreaming about you." She sat up.

"Good or bad?" He smirked.

"Always good or _very_ good." She leaned in kissing him, "I missed you. It was only a week but I really missed you."

"I missed you too. Your performance was amazing, more impressive by the fact you did it in a week."

She laughed, "Thanks I was pretty nervous."

"I was too." She blushed as he kissed her again, he had been nervous for her? The thought made her heart flutter for some reason. She smiled into the kiss as he put an arm around her before breaking the kiss and hugging her, "I'm proud of you. Your dad would be too."

"Thanks." She wrapped her arms around him, "Takashi."

"Hmm?" He responded not wanting to let her go.

"Will you stay the night? I missed you a lot especially when I was crying and I want you here even if we're asleep."

He pulled back and smiled at her, "You need rest."

"That's all I want to do, is rest in your arms. Will your family allow it?" He nodded at her, a blush coming over his face thinking of her sleeping in his arms, his family would have to say yes.

"Let me check." He grabbed his phone. She sat there as he talked to his dad and explained he would be staying the night at a friend's house and would go to school the next day from there, having a spare uniform in his car. He got off the phone and smiled, "I can stay."

She smiled and moved over in the bed as he took off his over shirt and socks, "Do you need sweat pants or something?"

"If you have them." He smiled.

"Wouldn't have offered if I didn't." She laughed getting out of the bed, he blushed seeing her in the same type of clothes she wore when she had woken up at Haruhis house when they came over. She pulled out a pair of pants from her drawer, "These were my brothers, they may be a bit short but they're better than anything that's mine."

"Thanks." He kissed her temple going into the bathroom to change. He was surprised that the pants fit him so well, but her brother did look to be only a few inches shorter than him. He came back out and got under the sheets holding an arm up for her to curl up next to him.

They both got comfortable and he asked her about things that happened on her trip and she told him everything until they both eventually fell asleep.

* * *

Kyoya was pacing back and forth waiting for Hoshiko to arrive at the club room. He was worried about how she would react to finding out that her mother had visited his father the day before. The others in the room couldn't help but notice his strange behavior. When the club room door opened and she walked in he immediately walked up to her, "Delany-senpai, I need to speak with you. Privately."

"Okay." She said a little shocked when he put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her into the store room they held all of Hunnys sweets. Haruhi stood up when she heard the door lock.

"That was a little strange of Kyoya-senpai."

Hunny followed her look to the door, "Yeah. That's not like him at all when we're preparing to open."

Takashi didn't say anything but kept his eyes on the door, waiting for anything to happen.

Hoshiko turned around and looked at Kyoya who had his head down, "Kyoya what's going on."

"I'm sorry." He kept his head down, "Delany-senpai, I truly am."

"What's happened?" She felt a pit in her stomach.

"Your mother visited my father yesterday, to arrange a marriage between us." He still couldn't look at her but he could see her freeze, "He was very excited about the idea."

"Is he giving you a say in the matter?" Her voice was quiet.

"He has informed me of it but has yet to make a decision." Kyoya looked up at her, "So I wanted to make you an offer."

"If it's of marriage, I decline." She crossed her arms, angry, mostly at the situation, not necessarily at Kyoya depending on his answer.

"You know that I have no intentions of marrying you." He pushed his glasses up, "But I may be able to convince my father to give us some time. To wait until you finish your album and turn eighteen so that the offer is no longer good. If I can strike a deal with my father to wait five months the deal would no longer be on the table. We may have to pretend to date until then though. This will also keep your mother from trying to marry you to more unfavorable suitors. I wanted to talk to you before I did though."

"Why? Why would you do this?" She was shaking, angry at the situation, thinking about Takashi.

"Because I want your fathers company to stay under your control. I'm on your side and if I can make this work with my father then I want to take the time to prove to you that I am worthy of a position at your company. And to help train me in the way the entertainment industry works, I don't have so much pride that I won't admit I know nothing about it. I want you to be able to trust me no matter what." He now looked at the floor, "But it may make your relationship with Mori-senpai even harder than it already is."

She smiled at him, "Should have known you would have figured it out."

"I've had my suspicions since we returned from Karuizawa. When we watched the awards ceremony it confirmed what I had been thinking."

"I'm sure he'd prefer us fake dating then actually getting married." She looked sad and his heart hurt at the situation, "It's not even five months until my birthday. We just have to make it that long."

"I understand. We can work around the set 'tutoring' schedule the two of you have been using for the past few weeks if we have to prove to them that we're dating."

"Thank you. I should talk to him about it tonight though, just to make sure he's alright with it. Can you wait until later? I'll text you after I've talked to him? It wouldn't seem right to make this decision without him."

"Of course. If we have to come up with something else then we will." He smiled at her, "I was afraid you'd take this worse than you did."

"I'm fuming actually. My career has taught me how to control it though." She gave him a sad smile walking past him, "You've proven one thing to me though, that you know when not to make certain decisions alone."

Everyone watched as she walked out of the room and went at sat on the windowsill instead of her normal spot with Hunny and Takashi and then looked to Kyoya as he walked out of the room and watched as he sat down at a table on his laptop.

Haruhi and Takashi couldn't help but be worried as she put her headphones in and leaned her head on the window.

* * *

She was quiet the whole way to her house and Takashi just held her hand, he wasn't sure what she and Kyoya had talked about but he knew it was something that really worried her. They walked into her house and sat down on the couch, she didn't look at him. She felt horrible to ask this of him, to ask him to watch her pretend to date someone else. She felt him take her hand and she knew she couldn't wait any longer, "Takashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Does it bother you we can't be a normal couple? That we have to hide everything?" She couldn't even look at him, she might be about to hurt him and it hurt her to even think about doing that.

"It's temporary." He turned her face to look at him and could see the tears in her eyes, "Hoshiko, what's wrong?"

Tears fell from her eyes as she told him what she and Kyoya had spoken about and his heart stopped, Kyoyas father could reject the idea of dating for a few months and just go through with the engagement agreement if he wanted to. When she was done explaining it to him he wrapped his arms around her and held her head to his chest, "Is it too much for me to ask of you to not only hide everything but watch Kyoya and I pretend."

"Hoshiko…Hoshiko…" His body trembled, "Hoshiko, if it means I won't lose you, I'll do anything you ask."

She looked up at him and he wiped a tear from her cheek, "I can't be away from you for the rest of my life. I know there's nothing between you two. I trust you."

"If at any point you're uncomfortable with what's happening, anything at all. Tell me. We'll call it off immediately." Takashi kissed her deeply and she melted into his arms.

He pulled away and whispered, "Just a little bit longer."

"I'm so glad I have you."


	12. Chapter 12

Kyoyas deal with his father worked and everyone noticed the time he and Hoshiko were spending together. Takashi tried to keep his distance from her, to go back to how they had been before they started dating, he even stopped going over to her house, so that no one would suspect anything different and Hoshiko wondered how much it was really bothering him that the small amount of time they got to spend together was now even less.

They barely spoke as she helped him get into his vampire outfit. Hunny who was there with them noticed how sad her eyes were. He knew generally that Takashi would hold her hand when he could while they were in the changing room, give her at least a kiss on the forehead before he left, but lately he had been standing there, barely looking at her. He wondered if they had fought over the time she was spending with Kyoya, if maybe one of them had lost feelings towards the other.

Haruhi had noticed the change too and asked Hoshiko about it, and all she had responded was, _"I'm sorry, but just trust me, when it's time for you to know I'll tell you everything."_ Kyoya felt bad for the girl too, at any moment their plan could backfire and they really would be engaged, and he knew that would destroy her.

* * *

Hoshiko was involved in the planning to scare Class 1-A and hoped it would provide a moment away from everything and just be a bit of fun, something she desperately needed. Kyoya had suggested that she and Mori work together since she was interested and Mori was playing Frankenstein's monster, a character who killed someone and she would play the dead body. It was his way of trying to let them spend some time together.

She walked out of the dressing room with her hair down, in a white blouse and a white long skirt carrying a bag with makeup remover and other things to help get the green off of his skin later and headed for the room she was to be in with Takashi.

* * *

Hunny was waiting in the room with Takashi, "What's going on between you and Hoshi-chan?"

"Nothing." He stared out the window, he was tired from not sleeping well, always thinking about the position Hoshiko was in.

"Then why does she look sad all the time now?" Hunny held his pumpkin head piece in his lap, "You both used to be happier, it's been a while since I've seen her really smile and I'm worried about her. Do you think her mother has done something?"

Takashi looked down at his cousin, "It's complicated."

"Is that why you've pulled away from her? It seems that's the reason she's sad." Hunny looked back up at him, "I know I don't know what's going on, but it's like she misses you even though your right there."

His eyes widened at those words, had he pulled away too much? It didn't bother him the time she and Kyoya spent together, he knew she was teaching him things, but was him trying to protect her, trying to make things easier for her, actually hurting her?

* * *

As she walked down the hallway she saw Kyoya waiting outside the door, he had been listening to Hunny and Takashis conversation. When he heard her footsteps he looked up at her and she smiled, but it wasn't her real smile, "Sure you don't want to join in Kyoya?"

"I'm sure. I wouldn't really assume scaring Haruhi would be something you were interested in." He pushed his glasses up.

"I'm a third year and they're first years. Getting in on something like this is why I came here, to experience being a teenager, right?" She reached for the door handle.

"Hoshiko," She had told him to start calling her that so it seemed they didn't have a formal relationship anymore, "I'll be standing outside the door after they come by this room. No one will enter until it's time to leave."

She smiled again and walked in.

* * *

The plan worked and the first years had gone off screaming and she got up off of the floor where she had been pretending to be dead, "Do you want me to take that makeup off of you?"

"Mmm." He said and followed her over to the window so that she could see.

Hoshiko stood up on the windowsill so that she was only slightly taller than him and began wiping his face off with a cotton pad. They didn't speak, he didn't know what to say, it was like he was back before he told her how he felt. She wiped the makeup off of his lips and he looked up at her, her eyes concentrating on his face and Hunny had been right, she looked sad.

When she went to remove the screw prosthetic from his temple he reached up and took her hand in his. He kissed her knuckles and a blush went over her cheeks. His eyes met hers, "Marry me."

"What?" Was her only response, days, even weeks of him seemingly forgetting they were dating and he asks her this when he knows how dangerous it is, "Takashi…"

"Not tomorrow, maybe not even for a few years, but one day, will you marry me?" He held her hand tight, "I've neglected you thinking I was giving you space to help fool people. I should have noticed sooner it was upsetting you. I realized I want to spend the rest of my life treating you how you deserve. Support you through everything you have to go through. I know I want to marry you Hoshiko. I love you."

Her voice was soft as she smiled at him, "I love you too. So yes."

He swiftly wrapped his arms around her pressing his lips to hers and her heart stopped hurting. She should have realized he was doing what he said he would do to help her trick her mother into thinking she was actually dating Kyoya. It had been so long since he'd gotten to kiss her like this it took all his strength to slowly pull away.

"I should finish getting your makeup off." She ran a finger down his cheek where there were still bandages on his face.

"Mmm." Was what he responded as he sat down, pulling her onto his lap so that he could hold her as she did. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and felt bad, hoping they weren't because of her. They sat there as she checked the edges of his face and moved some of his hair around to make sure that all of the green was gone. When she was sure everything was cleaned off she rested her head in the crook of his neck. He placed a kiss on her temple, "How's the album coming?"

"Almost done. I might actually make it with some time to spare." She held back a yawn.

"Tired?"

"Yeah, I haven't been sleeping well." She snuggled closer to him.

"Me either. I shouldn't have been so distant." He ran his hand down her hair.

"It's not your fault. Plus I must have gotten used to sleeping with you there even though it was only a few times." Hoshiko was already falling asleep just sitting on his lap.

He leaned back onto the window and figured he'd let her rest, placing his lips to rest on the top of her head, until Hunny came to get them.

* * *

Hunny came to the door to see Kyoya leaning on the wall next to it, "What's going on Kyo-chan?"

"Just letting those two have some time to themselves."

"Does that mean that whatever's wrong is better now?" Hunny looked at the door handle, wanting to make sure that things were actually better.

"It'll take a little bit longer for everything to be completely better but I think it's getting there." Kyoya smiled and looked down to see Hunny slowly opening the door to peek inside.

Hunny smiled seeing Takashi holding Hoshiko, both with their eyes closed in a relaxed state. He slowly closed the door again, "I think they're sleeping."

"Well they have had an emotionally exhausting few weeks I'm sure." He pushed his glasses up, "Why don't we let them rest until it's time to leave."

Hunny nodded with a smile, happy the two had made things better for themselves.

* * *

She was helping him get into his Edo Era cosplay and even though she knew with this one he didn't need any help they both knew it was just part of the ritual for her to help Hunny then him get dressed. When it was just them left and she was finished her looked down at her, "How does it look?"

"In a historical sense very good." She smiled smoothing out the part around his neck, "However I have to admit I still prefer the more form fitting ones."

"Like what?" He wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her close, "I know your costumes that I like the best. I'm sure you have a favorite."

A blush went across her face, "I liked the police uniform. You have such nice arms it's a shame to hide them."

This time he blushed and pressed a kiss to her lips before having to leave. She smiled watching him go, they had been making sure to carve out more time together since Halloween.

* * *

She sat there with some of the girls only looking up when Takashi stood and put his blade through the wall, joining the group after Kasanoda bowed asking to be his apprentice, which made her smile. Sitting with Hunny and Takashi as Kasanoda explained his situation, she tried to hold back her smile and laughter as the boy said that Takashi was mean looking and expressionless and the reaction Takashi had to it.

Takashi didn't know how to help Kasanoda, he barely ever spoke and didn't try to do all things that it was said that he did. It only got worse as Takashi asked for Tamakis help and the halfwit began explaining that the only reason Takashi was popular was because he had Hunny around, and although Hoshiko didn't think so, Takashi and Hunnys following interaction made her head hurt from suppressing all of her laughter.

* * *

He was staying the night at her house that night and when they dropped their stuff of in her room Hoshiko knew what Tamaki had said had bothered Takashi so before they left the room she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He returned the gesture and she pulled away and smiled, "You know it wasn't true right. Hunny doesn't make you appealing or nicer. That's just who you are."

"So if Mitskuni wasn't around…" He looked away from her but she moved his face to look back.

"I still would have liked you yes." She smiled, "Your kind and thoughtful, loyal, a great listener, observant and you care. You care enough to blame yourself when Hunny gets a cavity, to protect Tamaki from the school newspaper, to take care of me when I'm too blind to take care of myself. If you were the way they said you were then we wouldn't be here right now. You're a wonderful person Takashi and everyone knows it."

He smiled kissing her again, happy to be rid of his self-doubt. When they separated she smiled at him, "Now because of all that I expect you to let me win our sparing match."

"Maybe." He gave her a smirk back.

* * *

When they laid down to go to bed they laid on their sides and he put his arms around her, bringing her back tighter to his chest and she smiled as he nuzzled his face to the back of her neck. She kept her voice quiet as she spoke, "Takashi, I've been thinking about something. What do you think your parents would say if they knew the truth about where you've been staying?"

"I don't know."

"What would they think if they knew all aspects of the situation?"

"My father would understand. He liked your father so he would respect what you have to do." Despite being tired he held her a little tighter, he could tell she had something on her mind, she had been over exerting during their sparing match, "Why?"

"I've just been wondering lately what my dad would have thought of everything. I've been thinking about him a lot." She pulled her knees in a little tighter to body, "I feel kind of guilty."

"About what?"

"If he hadn't of…" She still had a hard time saying it, "I wouldn't have come back to Japan, I wouldn't be spending time with Haruhi, I wouldn't have remet you… I wouldn't be with you."

"I'm sorry." He felt guilty, if she had her father then Takashi wouldn't have her.

Hoshiko took one of the hands holding her and brought it to her lips, "It's not your fault, I just think that after I went to that show and he wasn't with me for the first time, it really hit me that he's really gone. Everything happened so fast afterwards that I didn't have anything normal in my life that he wasn't there for because my life wasn't normal anymore. It just felt like he was still in America but then I went there and he wasn't. I know he would want me to be happy, and that he'd be happy that I am happy, but if I still had him I wouldn't have you and it's just hard."

"Hoshiko…" he didn't know what to say to make it better, "I can't bring your dad back, but anytime you miss him or feel bad I'll be there. I'll do what you need. I'll even go to the awards shows with you."

She couldn't help but laugh at his attempt to make her feel better so she guessed it worked. He kissed the back of her neck and readjusted slightly getting more comfortable before whispering in her ear, "Get some rest."

"Okay. Night Takashi."

"Goodnight."


	13. Chapter 13

They were having downtime and everyone was sure to notice Kyoya and Hoshiko sitting together. She held a tea cup in her hands while they both looked at the computer, "So what was it that possessed you to approach a simple girl like this? Her voice is decent and she plays the guitar but there's nothing special about her."

"There is if you listen close. She knows when to strain her voice to the right part of the song to accentuate the emotions of the lyrics. What you say is simple, I see as talent. To be able to have the ability to captivate without needing flashy lights and amazing dancers behind you is what's important. Later on once you add those things it adds to the experience of a concert but you don't see that when you're listening to the radio, all you get are the sounds the artist gives you." She set her tea cup down pulling up a video of a Japanese artists audition that she had been sent, "Now this is for the Japanese branch, what would you say about him?"

Kyoya sat there and listened to the boy watching him nervously sway back and forth as he sang. Once it was over he thought for a moment, "I don't think his voice is powerful enough to be a solo artist, however perhaps in a group he may do well."

"That's very true and putting him into that training section of the company would benefit him the best, however lets say at this moment we are no longer looking for anyone to be in a group but instead are only looking for solo acts, then what would you say?"

"No. He's nervous just standing there, his body language isn't confident therefore performing by himself could pose an issue. If he had a strong voice that would negate the nerves, which he may still have a strong voice but his nerves are hindering it which is no good, and his looks aren't enough to push him into the worth investing in category."

"All of that is correct." She smiled at him taking a sip of her tea, "Now we could tell him to come back to the next set of auditions after he becomes more comfortable since he is only thirteen at the moment, he could possibly grow into himself in the coming year."

"This is all very interesting. Would the Korean branch be similar to the branch here?"

"Somewhat, we tend to do more training and spend a longer time with them than the artists from what I understand. Here the training is about a year or so, sometimes in Korea we'll hold onto them for around three years and in America sometime we release an EP after only three months. But it also depends on the artist and who's running the company."

Kyoya leaned down looking at the screen, "So Japan seems to be in the middle."

"Yes, I would suggest you focus on those auditions and artists because it does help you as a basis to learn the other two." She stood up stretching, "Oh and if you don't speak Korean or English, I would recommend you learn some of both, the branches often contact each other when it comes to press and publicity for artists travelling outside of their respective countries."

"So that means you speak Korean?"

"I do." She smiled, "Started learning when I was fifteen."

As she began to leave the couch she was stopped by the twins. Hikaru squinted at her, "Are you and Kyoya-senpai dating or something?"

"Yeah you two have been spending a lot of time together for the past few months." Kaoru followed.

"I don't see where that's any of your business." Kyoya said still sitting on the couch staring at the computer.

The twins looked at him sideways as Hoshiko just smiled and sipped her tea going over to where Hunny was calling her to eat cake with him. She sat down in between the boy and Takashi, "Hoshi-chan, how's your album coming? Your birthdays two weeks away."

"I'm working on the arrangements for the last two songs now." She smiled at the boy, "I'll make it. I know I will. In fact I'll probably be getting some help this weekend, I'm going to Seoul to film a music video."

"Oh really?" Hunny got excited. Takashi already knew, she had told him after it was planned.

"Yeah. The collaboration I did at the awards show was so popular people actually wanted a copy of it so we've been working on a studio recording and we're doing the video there."

"Sounds fun." Takashi smiled as he took a sip of his tea, Hoshiko had told him how excited she was to go back to Korea, only having been once before right after she left Japan.

"I'm really excited. We didn't expect people to like the song that much with it being sang in three different languages."

"But why do you have to go to Korea? Japan is in the middle." Hunny wondered aloud.

She smiled, "Seo Won is in the middle of doing promotions and commercials so his schedule is pretty busy at the moment with it being towards the end of the year. It was easier for us to come to him than any other way."

Hoshiko saw Haruhi walking up and she looked up at her friend, "Are you about to leave?"

"Yeah, are you ready?" Haruhi asked, it had been a while since Hoshiko had stayed at her house.

"Let me just grab my bag." She stood up, "See you guys tomorrow."

* * *

They sat in the living room with the tv on in the background after finishing eating dinner, "So why didn't you tell me about you and Kyoya-senpai faking your relationship sooner?"

"How many times did any of the girls ask you if you knew about us?"

"A whole bunch, it got really annoying after a while." Haruhi muttered.

"That's why. I figured they would go to you with us being friends and I didn't want you to have to lie about it, plus your frustration at not knowing what was going on made it more sincere that you didn't know and therefore made them think something was actually going on." Hoshiko pulled her knees into her chest, "And I was worried you might think I was being a hypocrite."

"Why would I think that?"

"Because I don't like it when people pretend to be something they aren't." She looked at Haruhi, "And that's basically what we were doing."

"Yeah but you had good reasons. And good intentions. I'm sure everyone will understand once they know why it had to be that way. Plus you weren't really pretending, you just weren't telling us what was going on." Haruhi nudged her with a smile, "I'm just happy you finally told me and I didn't have to wait until your birthday to find out. What did Mori-senpai think of the whole thing?"

"He was supportive and understanding. He said that if it kept us from being separated permanently then he would do whatever he needed to."

Haruhi smiled, "He really is a sweet guy. You got lucky Shiko."

"Yeah I did." Hoshiko smiled just thinking about it, "You will be too. When you realize it."

"Realize what?" Haruhi looked at her with question.

"If I tell you, you'll just deny it and swallow the feelings further." She stretched out.

"Are you saying that I like someone? Me?"

Hoshiko laughed, "Come on, you know that you're more dense with that stuff than even I am."

"I am not! I'm just focused on my future and my schooling-"

"And the Host Club." She interrupted and her friends eyes grew wide, "We were never ones to let things like that take away from time spent on our goals."

"Well you hang out there too!"

"Yeah," She held back laughter, "Because you were there and I could still work on my music while I was there."

"I broke a vase!"

"That you know I would have paid for so you could stay on your path."

"But then I would have owed you money."

"Yes but you could have paid me back later." Haruhi couldn't come up with a comeback for it and Hoshiko smiled at her, "You're there because you like it for some reason."

"Because I like the guys, they're my friends."

"Yes but you go to the same school as them, it's not like you'd never see them again if you didn't stay in the club."

Haruhi thought about it for a minute, "Then why did I stay."

"I don't know, why did you, you've said multiple times you didn't care if you got found out as a girl but yet you continued to play along even when it made you uncomfortable sometimes." She raised an eyebrow at her friend who was now deep in thought. She waited for a minute before patting her on the arm, "Come on, I want ice cream, lets go get some. My treat."

"I'd hope so since you're the one who wants it." She mumbled with a smile.

"Come on you know you want some."

"Yeah I do." Haruhi muttered her smile growing.

* * *

Hoshiko walked into the club room with a big smile on her face. Tamaki was the first to comment on it, "Why are you happier than usual?"

"Because today is a good day." She smiled.

"What do you mean by that?" Hikaru asked.

"Today, I'm eighteen." The room grew silent.

"Is your album in?" Hunny asked grabbing her sleeve.

"Sent the last song in last night at 10 pm." She grinned.

Kyoya stood up and walked over to the group, "We made it just under the wire too. My father was beginning to get impatient with my indecision."

"What indecision?" Tamaki looked at him.

"On whether or not I was going accept her mother's marriage deal."

"What?!" Those that didn't know yelled.

"That's why things have been as they have for the past four months, we've been having to trick our parents."

"Well explains a lot." Karou said through tears along with Tamaki and Hikaru as she and Kyoya explained everything.

As they all went to sit down, and Hunny went to go get a cake her phone went off and she answered it, "Hey…Yeah it's official...I can't wait to see you too."

"Was that your brother?" Haruhi asked.

"Yeah." She smiled just thinking at getting to actually see him again after close to a year and a half, "He's coming for the Ouran Fair."

At that moment the club door opened and in walked in Moriko Miyamoto, Hoshiko's mother. The woman was wearing an expensive business suit and had her hair cut short, she wore the face of a woman that looked like she never smiled. Hoshiko stood up, seeing the woman in person for the first time in months, "Mother."

"Hoshiko."

"Why are you here?"

"I was told you frequent this room after school, I'm surprised considering the amount of boys in here and you seem to try to avoid those, all except Mr. Ootori here." Her mother reached her hand out to Kyoya to shake his, with a clearly fake smile.

Kyoya did not return the gesture and instead took a step behind Hoshiko. Moriko retracted her hand and looked from the two of them, a sinister smile growing directed towards her daughter, "Your father called me today to say that he wanted the paperwork to go through with the proposal."

"My apologies ma'am, but I won't be marrying your daughter." Kyoya pushed up his glasses.

She tried not to look angry and annoyed at his statement, "Your father has the say in this, he has given you your time."

"Are you that bad of a mother?" Haruhi stood up.

Her mother turned and looked at the young girl, "Haruhi Fujioka, you have grown up, and made a few changes to your appearance too."

"How can you know so little about your own daughter?" Haruhi continued.

"How dare a street rat like you speak to me like that!" Her mother yelled.

Hoshiko stepped forward towards her mother, "How dare you speak to her like that! Someone like you has no right to judge someone else on anything."

Her mother raised her hand to slap her daughter but was stopped by Takashi grabbing the womans wrist, stopping her from hitting Hoshiko. Hoshiko smiled at her, "You remember Takashi Morinozuka correct? And Mitskuni Haninozuka?"

The woman looked at the boy holding her wrist and the littler one setting a cake down on the table, "The ones who called to get your body guards removed. The one's whose parents refused a marriage arrangement with our family."

"Because they didn't want to be related to you." Hoshiko replied, "A woman who doesn't even remember who own daughter's birthday."

Her mother's eyes grew wide, "But your album."

"Is finished."

The Host Club gathered around behind Hoshiko, "You lost your chance mother, you lost everything because of your greed. If only you had treated my father like a husband should be treated, cared for me like a daughter should be cared for, you could have had what you wanted. But instead you thought the best way was to be cold and only care about yourself. Being selfish may work for a little while, but in the end it always leaves you all alone, with no one to care for you. Don't contact me for a year, live this next year the way I lived the past year of my life, if you realize your mistakes, I'll consider helping you. But until then leave."

Moriko just stared at her with wide eyes, "I can't believe my own daughter would do this to me, that I had taught you this well."

Hoshiko froze at her mothers words. She stared back at the woman in shock as her mother gave her a smirk before leaving the room and her life. The words had stung her like a knife, had she become like her mother?

Haruhi took her hand, "You know that's not true right. You're nothing like her."

Hoshiko looked at her friend and Kyoya spoke up, "She's right you know, I wouldn't fake date and fool my own father for someone who was like that."

She turned around and saw them all agreeing. Takashi put a hand on her shoulder, "She won't do any of the selfless things you did. You are your fathers daughter, not hers."

The words still worried her but she did feel better. She smiled at all of them and looked at the cake Hunny had set down on the table, "Thanks guys, why don't we have some cake to celebrate…celebrate everything."

Hunny cheered in agreement and they all sat down.

* * *

Takashi knocked on his father's door and waited for him to be given permission to enter. When he did his father offered him the seat across the desk from him. Takashi looked his father in the eye, "Father, do you remember Hoshiko Delany, the girl I used to spar with?"

"Yes. You asked I call her mother to get her security detail removed. She was a sweet girl. Her father was nice as well. Never did like her mother that much though." His father answered leaning back in his chair, "Why?"

"I love her." Takashi answered.

"What?" His father laughed a little, "This is the first I've heard of you having any feelings other than being friends with her."

Takashi explained that they had to keep her relationship a secret so that her mother wouldn't find out and his father nodded, "I see. I'm glad that I refused the marriage offer she sent. So why are you telling me now?"

"I would have sooner had the situation allowed for it, I felt it was my duty to tell you now."

"How serious is this?"

"Very."

"As in marriage?"

"Yes."

"Then I want to meet her again. It has been five years and a person can change a lot in that amount of time, especially considering her fame. Your mother and I need to approve of her before we can welcome her into the family. We don't have to worry about her mother since she is no longer in the picture."

"Thank you, I'll tell her and we can arrange a meeting." He bowed and turned to leave but his father called after him.

"Takashi, I have something you might like, I never thought much of it, but given the circumstances." His father stood up and went to a bookshelf pulling out an old photo album. Flipping through the pages his father stopped on one and pulled out a photo and handed it to Takashi, "It's from when you were eight."

Takashi looked down at the photo and it was a picture of Hoshiko and him at the first dinner the families had shared together. They had fallen asleep after the meal while their parents were talking and were laying on the floor of the homes private dojo. She was lying with her head on his chest, her body perpendicular to his, and his arm slung over her back. He smiled at the picture that he didn't remember and thought of how they slept now, "Thank you."


	14. Chapter 14

Hoshiko and Takashi entered her room and she flopped down on the bed, "Are you sure they liked me? Your mom was so hard to read and she barely said a thing the whole night."

"She wanted to contain herself." Takashi smiled sitting next to her.

"Contain herself from what? She didn't like me did she?" She instantly sat up and he smiled at her.

"Apparently she's a fan of yours."

She looked at him confused, "You mean she listens to my music?"

He nodded and she continued, "And she wasn't talking because she was afraid she might embarrass herself or something?"

He let out a light laugh and nodded again, "She's hid her obsession for years"

"Really?" Her voice got high pitched not believing him, "She knew me before I hit puberty, why would she be unable to act normal around me? Are you sure that's it?"

"Yes." He wrapped his arms around her as she continued her questioning look, "She almost screamed when I told her."

"What?" Hoshiko couldn't help but laugh.

"She asked if it would be too much to get your autograph."

"She could have, but that would be a bit awkward considering I'm engaged to her son." Hoshiko thought for a moment then turned to look at him, "We can get her VIP tickets to my next Tokyo concert and if she's embarrassed she can use the fact we're together as an excuse."

"She'd love that." He kissed her, "You said we're engaged."

"Well you asked me to marry you and I said yes." She blushed slightly, "It does technically make us engaged."

"But it's the first you've said it."

"Well it's only official if your parents approve it."

He kissed her again, "They do. My father told me before we left, but that there's no rush."

"Really?" She smiled wrapping her arms around his neck.

He nodded reaching into his pocket pulling out a box. She covered her mouth in shock as he opened the box to reveal a small intricate silver band hooked on a silver chain, "I wasn't sure if you wanted to wear it on your finger right away."

"Considering we haven't even told all of our friends yet…or my brother, maybe not." She smiled slightly before he took the necklace out and put it around her neck, "Speaking of, when do you want to tell everyone?"

"Graduation?" He said as he watched her look closer at the ring on the chain around her neck.

"That would be good, this way we wouldn't have girls gawking at us or angry at me." She let out a small laugh.

Takashi put his hand on the back of her neck and held her there for a moment, just looking at her. Sometimes he still couldn't believe that she had chosen him, that he had the girl he had always dreamed about. He pulled her in for a long kiss and after only separated their lips, "I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled wrapping her arms tighter around his neck kissing him again. He held her close and their kisses deepened. Takashi moved his arms to wrap around her waist and he picked her up slightly and laid her down on the bed, moving to be on top of her.

He placed a long kiss on her forehead and when he pulled away she took the side of his face in her hand and looked into those amazing eyes. She knew what she wanted, she knew he wanted it too, they had been holding back, waiting until they were sure that they wouldn't be ripped apart, and now they knew they wouldn't. Nothing was stopping them now. But she knew him, she knew he would never initiate something like that unless he was sure she wanted it. She ran her thumb over his cheek, "Takashi."

"Hmm?"

"One day we're going to get married, and have kids, and grandkids." He nodded, "We have our whole lives to experience so much together. We've had to be on pause for too long. I don't want to pause anymore. I want this…I want you."

He felt a blush coming over his face and his eyes widened, "Hoshiko, are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yeah, but only if you want to."

He wrapped an arm underneath her so that they were closer and he smiled, "I do."

Takashi pressed his lips to hers while sliding a hand to rest on her hip. Her fingers ran through his hair as he kissed her slowly, the other hand held tight at his collar. He slowly brought his hand under her shirt, feeling the skin of her side and she brought her leg up his thigh as the kisses got deeper. He began to kiss down her jaw to her neck has he placed a hand under her butt so their hips were pressed against each other.

Her hands went down his chest and reached the bottom of his shirt and she lifted it off of him before he kissed her again, fiercer this time, a heated passion passing between them. She explored the now exposed skin with her hands and she couldn't help but smile into the kiss. He noticed this and smiled back reaching for the hem of her shirt, "Hmm?"

"Nothing, it just reminds me of that day I fell off of my surf board and you caught me." She let out a quiet laugh as she leaned up to help him get her shirt off, "We ended up having a secret affair after all."

Before he finished lifting the fabric from her skin he smiled at her, "I had feelings for you then."

"Me too." She blushed as she lifted her arms so he could finish what he had begun to do. He laid her back down and when their skin touched as they kissed this time she felt a warmth grow in the bottom of her stomach. He felt the fire in him too but he refused to do anything but take his time, this was a night he wanted to last forever.

She moved her other leg so that both of hers were now on either side of his and he was all but laying on her as he kissed back down her neck, collarbone, and stomach. His hand slid up her back and felt her bra strap. His fingers toyed with the band for a moment and when he realized he couldn't undo it he looked at her slightly embarrassed, "I can't unhook it."

She smiled sitting up, "It takes practice."

Kissing him as she unhooked it with one hand she lingered on his lips for a moment, "I'm sure after a few more times you'll be a pro."

Hoshiko laid back down without removing the fabric from her body and he kissed her again pulling the straps from her shoulders before tossing it to the floor with their shirts. His heart pounded feeling her chest up against his and his body instinctively pushed his hips into hers, causing a quiet moan to escape her throat. His pants were beginning to restrict him, but he could hold off a little while longer, he moved his hand to her waist then hesitated. She pulled away from the kiss and looked at him, "We can stop if you want."

"It's not that." He let out a nervous laugh, he knew it was her first time too, but that's what worried him, what he had always heard about how it could be for girls, "I just…"

"Takashi." She placed her hand over the one he had resting on her hip, "I trust you, but if you want to go slower, we can."

He didn't respond but she could see in his eyes the concern was for her and not himself, she could see he wanted it just as much as she did so she pulled him back into a kiss as she slid his hand up to her chest. Takashi continued to kiss her as his hand began to gently squeeze and massage her chest, when he took the bud in between his fingers and began gently rolling and squeezing it her thighs gripped at his hips and her hand tightened slightly around his hair. He enjoyed being able to make her react this way, being able to pleasure her, so he removed his lips from hers and placed them on the other breast.

It seemed like a spark of electricity had gone through her when he began sucking. Her grip on him grew tighter, her body was experiencing something it never had before and it made her heart beat faster, her breaths shorter, and her mind grow fuzzy. After a moment or so her hand travelled down his back to his butt and their hips ground together, Hoshiko could feel his growth against her and it made her heart pound.

Takashi wasn't sure how much longer his body or his mind would let him wait, they both wanted her more than anything. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and laid it on the night stand before reaching for the zipper to her skirt. As he slid it down she reached for his jeans button and zipper and began undoing them. Her hands that close to him made the fire burning in the pit of his stomach roar and as she finished he pressed his lips to hers, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her deeply and quickly.

She couldn't help but smile and let out a small laugh at his new sense of urgency while he worked on sliding her skirt down with one hand. He too smiled as she began pushing his jeans off while they kissed, his arms tight around the girl he loved. Once his jeans were off and his hips were back against hers she gasped feeling him against her even more now. Her fingers pressed into his back and he had to slow his breathing, he could feel her warmth through his boxers and the friction didn't help him to calm himself. He reached down to her hip, sliding his fingers under the waist band of her panties and before sliding them down looked at her, "If any moment you want to stop, tell me."

"I will." She smiled at him, he always took such good care of her, even now she knew that as a man he must be controlling himself so much to make sure that she was okay with everything happening.

As he sat back to pull the fabric from her a blush came across his face and for a moment his mind was blank, seeing her lying in front of him, completely naked save her new necklace, he was stunned by her beauty, her body, by just her. He reached for the waist band of his boxers and began taking them off and Hoshiko blushed as she looked away, she'd never seen that part of a man before and didn't quite know what to expect. He laid back down over her but moved his hips away from hers, "Are you uncomfortable?"

"No." She blushed even more, before looking back at him, "I guess I'm just a little shy about that is all."

"Okay." He placed a hand around the back of her head before kissing her. He knew she would tell him the truth if she wanted to stop so he moved his hips back closer to hers and she could feel his length against her thigh and it made her heart stop. He reached for his wallet, pulling out a condom and quickly unwrapped it and after a moment slid it on.

Takashi took one of her hands in his and with the other he lined himself up to her entrance. When she felt his tip against her she held his hand tighter as he placed his forehead in the crook of her neck, trying to keep his body calm. She tried to relax as he pushed into her slowly and she only let a small gasp escape her as he let out an unsteady breath once being inside of her. Despite having never felt anything as amazing as he had in that moment with her, he was only concerned for her. His voice was shaky, "Are you alright?"

She had only experienced a moment of pain and was trying to relax as she got used to him, "Yeah, just a little different than what I expected. You?"

"Mmm." He steadied himself, wrapping an arm around her before moving his hips. After a moment to calm his body down he slowly began moving in and out and her grip on him became tighter, "Still okay?"

"Yes." Was all she was able to get out. It wasn't painful anymore, it felt amazing, having him inside of her. She clung to him and as he began to move faster her breaths got shorter. He could hear air escaping from her throat as he pushed into her, he moved his hand to her hip and pulled it closer to him, wrapping her leg around him. He pressed his lips to hers as his thrusts got quicker and she held him tighter.

He stayed at this pace for a while, enjoying the little sounds that escaped her as time went on but when he moved his arm from her waist to her lower back she gasped grabbing him tighter. Worried he may have hurt her he stopped for a moment, "Good or bad?"

"Good, very good." She replied, the shock of pleasure that had run up her body still tingling, "Don't stop, please."

He kissed her neck as he picked up the pace again and as her back arched more to him she got tighter around him, the noises escaping her egging him on every step of the way.

She felt a burning inside of her, a pressure that was about to explode and the buildup compared to nothing she had ever felt before. Her hand slid down his backside and she held onto him as the pressure reached it's boiling point, "Takashi…"

He could tell by the way she was holding him she didn't want him to stop, he himself had been fighting the urge of his body to explode to make the moment last as long as he could. But when she began saying his name for a third time and couldn't finish it as her body exploded from the pressure, the tightness that wrapped around him wouldn't let him last much longer, even though he wanted to. He managed a few more thrusts as she pulsed around him and he too exploded, a pleasure filled moan escaping his lips as he pushed his forehead into the crook of her neck.

They stayed like this for a moment, catching their breaths and she ran her hand down the back of his neck, helping his body to relax after a moment of tense bliss. He had never had his whole body feel exhausted before and it was an amazing feeling. Slowly he pulled himself from inside of her and discarded the condom. They both had sweat glistening from them and he could barely move to get from being on top of her.

Hoshiko smiled at him when he tried to move back from her but had to pause as he was still out of breath. Reaching up for him she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him to lay on top of her, he didn't fight it, and instead wrapped his arms around her, laying his head by her collarbone. He closed his eyes, enjoying this peaceful moment, "Am I heavy?"

"You're perfect." She kissed him on the forehead, going back to running her hand down the back of his head and neck. He knew he shouldn't fall asleep on her but he didn't want to move.

"Do you want to get dressed?"

"It's up to you. Whatever you want." She smiled as he held her tighter.

After a moment though he knew he should go to the bathroom and clean himself off. Once his breath had steadied he slowly lifted himself from her and held the side of her face gently, "I'll be back. Why don't you get dressed?"

She nodded and he gave her a long kiss before getting off the bed and grabbing his bag. Hoshiko smiled as he shut the door and covered her face, unable to believe what just happened, it had definitely become one of her best nights ever.

Getting out of the bed her legs were shaky as she got to her dresser and pulled out something to sleep in. She took the clothes from the floor and placed hers in the hamper and his into a neat pile on top of her dresser. Taking the moment she had she looked down at the ring on her necklace, it was beautiful and she smiled as she slid it onto her finger to see if it fit, which it did.

When he came out of the bathroom he smiled seeing her looking at the ring on her finger which was still attached to her neck and he came up behind her wrapping his arms around her, "I tried to get a ring that would match you."

"I think it's amazing. And a perfect fit." She turned in his arms and rested her head on his chest, "You know, this time last year if someone had told me I would be this happy and my life would be this great, I would have called them the biggest liar. But here I am, the happiest I've ever been."

Takashi placed a kiss on the top of her head and smiled, he knew it wasn't just him that made her happy, it was everything and everyone, "Your reason for coming back wasn't a good one, but I'm glad you did."

"Me too." She looked up at him, "I really needed it now that I think about it, I was getting no time to myself, barely had time to spend with my friends, I look back and realize that I was losing touch with the music I felt really meant something and instead was making what I felt like I was supposed to write. But now it's not like that anymore, I have plenty of time to relax, I have amazing friends, and the songs I've written over the past few months have been some of the best pieces I think I've ever made. And of course I have you."

He smiled as he gave her a light peck, "Are you tired?"

She laughed, "No actually, after what just happened, I seem to be wide awake."

He gave a quiet laugh too, "I heard that you're supposed to be tired afterwards."

"Well I'm not." She thought about it then remembered, "Oh yeah, do you think you could look at the colleges I've been accepted too and help me figure out which one to go to? I don't remember much about Japanese Universities."

He nodded, "Only if you help me too."

"Of course. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll chose the same one."


	15. Chapter 15

Hoshiko was busy in meetings dealing with transfers of power in her company as the fair drew closer. She was having trouble dealing with the planning of the concert as well as three companies. Sitting next to Kyoya on a couch with papers strewn about in front of them she pointed at one, "We need to have plenty of places for the backup dancers to change so there will at least have to be a tent or something behind the stage for them to go."

"We've been given permission to outsource workers from an outside company to help with setting up the stage and lights since we'll be running low with all the different event going on throughout the fair." He replied piling up three different stacks together.

"That's good. It'll help a lot. How's your personal business venture going?"

"Perfectly fine." He smirked while pushing up his glasses.

She looked at her phone that started to beep, "Sorry the cars here. I need to head to the company now."

She waved goodbye to everyone in the room giving Takashi a smile before heading out the door. When she arrived downstairs she smiled at the American man waiting in the car for her, "Chairman Flowers, I hope the flight was well."

"Very pleasant. Good to see you're doing well too." He smiled at her, "I assume you've picked a university to go to at this point?"

"I have. I appreciate you helping by taking the roll of Acting Director of the American branch of the record company. It'll help out a lot." She smiled at him handing him a folder full of information.

"You aren't going to leave me hanging with all of the hard decisions though, right?" He laughed as he looked through the files.

She smiled back at him, "Don't worry, I'll still be involved, I just can't actively be there to run it myself."

"Your father wasn't either while staying in Japan so don't worry about that."

"Thanks. I will need your help with two difficult decisions while you're here though. We need to find acting directors for the Japanese and Korean branches before I start school that I know I can trust to keep the company in good light as well as step down when needed." She looked out the window as they crossed Tokyo.

"I know of a few candidates your father thought highly of and that were loyal to him." Flowers pulled out his own notebook from his briefcase and handed it to her.

She began looking through the pages, "Good. We'll start looking with them then."

* * *

When she finally made it to the school the day before the fair she was happy to see Kyoya handling the setup of the concert as well as the Host Club very well. As much as she knew she shouldn't be at this point she was surprised to see most of the Host Club riding around in a horse drawn carriage. She smiled seeing Takashi at the reigns of the carriage when there was a voice behind her, "Staring at your fiancée?"

She turned to see her brother smiling down at her, "Jason!"

He laughed wrapping his arms around her and she held him tight, finally able to actually see him after all this time. When he let her go he looked back at the carriage, "So when do I get to meet him?"

"You mean when do you get to judge him harshly?" She smirked putting her arm around his as they began walking around the fair.

"I don't think I could judge him that much with how happy you sound when you talk about him. Or just how happy you've been in general since you've been seeing him." Jason smiled looking down at her, "If someone makes my little sister that happy then how could I possibly think that badly of him. Doesn't mean I won't try to scare him some just to make sure."

"Mother didn't scare him away, I doubt you'll be able too." She sighed, "You'll get to meet him soon then. He's going to be somewhat busy with his club activities but he said he should be able to carve out some time for you."

"As long as he's always able to carve out some time for you." Jason took his hand in hers, "And as long as I'm able to spend time with you."

They made their way to the Host Club as it opened and saw down having tea. They spoke English when it was just them so that no one else knew that they were talking about the company as they sipped their drinks. Haruhi came over to them with a smile and they went back to Japanese, "Jason, this is my friend Haruhi the one I always talked about."

"Oh yeah, heard a lot of good things about you." Jason smiled holding his hand out to shake her friends hand, "Heard you want to be a lawyer. Good choice as long as you stay ethical."

"I will." Haruhi smiled, "I'm glad you were able to make it, I know Shikos been excited to see you again."

"Yeah I won't be able to make it for her graduation but I was able to come to this so I thought it was better than waiting another six months to see her."

"You and those movie sets." Hoshiko shook her head.

"I should get back to work before Tamaki senpai starts yelling for me." Haruhi smiled.

Jason turned back to his sister, speaking in English again, "So tell me about your friends. They seem to more interesting than the group back in America."

She began explaining about the group one by one and noticed when Tamaki's father entered the room but didn't stop talking. Hoshiko began explaining about Kyoya and how he was planning on working with her at the company she did stop speaking as she saw his father enter the room. When Mr. Ootori walked up to Kyoya and slapped him her instincts made her stand ready to defend her friend. Jason watched her as she watched her friend closely. Once Kyoya began walking away she looked to her brother, "Alright if I leave you for a bit?"

"That's fine." Jason sipped his drink with a smile as she walked away catching up to the younger man, "Dad trained her well for this job and she didn't even know it."

When she caught up to Kyoya she matched his stride, "Does he know about what you're planning on doing?"

"About which one?" Kyoya asked.

"My company." They didn't look at each other as they walked.

"No."

"Good." She smirked and he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "I'm going to enjoy this then."

"Enjoy what?" Kyoya tried not to smile.

"My conversation with him." She broke off from walking next to him planning to return to her brother. When she did the room was clearing out a little, preparing for the next part of the event. She motioned to her brother to walk with her and they began moving towards where the remaining members of the Host Club were sitting speaking about Tamaki leaving with Éclair. They caught the near end of the conversation as Kyoya said, "Of course that doesn't explain why Lady Éclair has come here to visit Tamaki."

"With all those brains you can't figure that out Kyoya?" Hoshiko sighed.

Jason smiled at everyone, "Even without having been raised into it I know that powerful families from outside the U.S. still arrange marriages to keep power or broker deals."

Everyone turned to look at the siblings and Takashi got nervous when he saw her brother there. She smiled at the group, "I'm sure you guys somewhat remember my brother, Jason."

The group smiled and introduced themselves to him formally and when Takashi shook his hand Jason made sure that it was a frim and strong handshake. Takashi was sure to return it without hurting the man and smiled at him. Her brother knew that the a few of the others in the group didn't know about his sisters relationship so he didn't say anything yet, instead sat with his sister and spoke with his sister as the others in the group began to leave and change.

They remained in the room with the group and listened to the story of Tamakis background and when the blonde boy entered the room and said that he was engaged to Éclair and that the host club was ending her jaw clenched. She watched as Tamaki walked away with Éclair and sighed, "What an idiot."

* * *

Jason, Takashi, and Hoshiko sat at dinner at her house that night. Takashi enjoyed her brothers company. He had been worried perhaps he wouldn't approve of him and make their engagement and marriage more difficult. Jason looked to his sister, "Where is your friend, Kimiko? The one who stays here with you?"

"She's on an end of the year field trip." She said standing picking up her glass, "Either of you want a refill while I'm up?"

The two men shook their heads and she headed into the kitchen. Jason began cutting his meat, "You make my sister very happy. Do you plan on waiting until you're done with university to get married?"

"We haven't decided." Takashi looked towards the man.

"Decide." Jason said, "She's going to be taking over a major company with three separate heads in three different cultures. While dating you doesn't hurt her image in any of them, if you two live together pre-marriage America will most likely be the only country alright with that. Our fathers company means a lot to her, as I'm sure you know. If you hurt her or how the companies view her, including if she gets pregnant before you both are married, it will make life very hard for her in Korea and Japan. You both love each other and that's enough for me. For the people that want to steal everything she has away from her, everything she's worked to protect, it's ammunition. Have some type of plan no matter what it is."

Takashi nodded slowly, processing everything her brother had just said, "We will."

"Good." Jason smiled at him, "Be sure to give me enough warning for the wedding to so that I'm available to come."

* * *

Hoshiko was making her way to Music Room #3 the next day and passed Mr. Ootori on her way, "Mr. Ootori."

The older man turned and looked at her, "Ah, Hoshiko Delany, the girl who refused to marry my son after leading him on."

"I never lead him on. He knew the whole time I had no intentions to marry him and the feeling was mutual." She smiled, "Our time spent together was time spent working on a different kind of relationship."

"What kind of relationship would that be?" Mr. Ootoris frown grew.

She bowed her head to the man, "The business kind, sir. The type my family not yours."

Ootori looked at her as she kept walking to her destination. He muttered, "I should have said yes to her mother immediately."

Hoshiko didn't knock, not expecting anyone to be in the room. When the door opened she saw Tamaki and Éclair in the room. Tamaki stood up when he saw her, "Delany Senpai, what are you doing here?"

"I have to start preparing for the concert soon and I'm graduating so I thought I'd go ahead and grab my somethings I left behind since this room will no longer be use for the Host Club after today." She turned to look at the boy, "That is, unless you've changed your mind."

Tamakis eyes fell and she sighed, "And here I was beginning to think you weren't as stupid as I first thought."

"How dare you talk to him like that." Éclair said with a calm smile and in a tone that didn't match what she had said.

"No, how dare you barge into a situation where you were neither asked nor wanted to join." Hoshiko reached the changing room door, "Your sister has the same issue."

Tamaki watched as she closed the door behind her then left with a bag of things in silence.

* * *

Hoshiko was back stage prepping for the concert, phone in hand receiving updates on everything from Takashi about Tamaki leaving. Her phone never left her hand while getting changed hoping that Haruhi would make it to Tamaki, if not for his sake, for hers. Waiting in the wings she clutched onto the small phone waiting, pleading that they would make it as they began announcing her on stage. Moments before she was about to go on her phone went off. It was Takashi, "Got him."

She let out a laugh and threw her phone to Jason before heading on stage.

The group made it back towards the end of her performance and enjoyed what they saw, she had gone all out, flaming swords and all. When she was done and changed into her evening wear for the closing ceremonies Jason escorted her to her friends. Hunny ran up to her, "Hoshi-chan! That was amazing!"

"I wanted to make sure everyone remembered this fair." She laughed.

Jason looked at her, "Well as much as I would love to stay, I have a job to get to down in New Zealand. I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She gave him a hug and he kissed her on the forehead.

"You all take care of my little sister." He smiled at her friends, "Especially you Takashi."

Jason took Hoshikos hand and placed it into Takashis before turning to walk away. The twins and Tamaki looked at them confused while the others just smiled. Takashi looked down at her, "You wanna do it?"

"Sure." She smiled taking the necklace from under her top and sliding the ring from it to her finger, "By the way everyone, Takashi and I are engaged!"

"SINCE WHEN?" Haurhi yelled as the others started exclaiming other things.

"Technically Halloween." She laughed, "Formally since my birthday."

The group crowded around them as the dancing began and the two couldn't help but laugh at their friends. When Hikaru and Kaoru began planning the wedding Takashi put his hand on their shoulders, "Not yet."

"Yeah it won't be soon." Hoshiko explained.

Girls began coming up to the members of the Host Club wanting to dance and before someone asked him Takashi took Hoshikos hand and led her to the floor but then stopped, "Unless you want to rest?"

"I'll always want to dance with you." She answered before they continued to walk to the dance floor.

After a moment of swaying Takashi leaned down and gave her a kiss and there was a sea of cooing noises from the crowd of girls surrounding the dance floor. He broke away and looked down at her, "Sorry."

"We're graduating so I won't have to put up with them too much." She smiled giving him a light kiss back.

A/N: Be sure to let me know what ya think! We're almost to the end :(


	16. Final

Hoshiko walked into the house after a long flight and was greeted by Kimiko, "Welcome home, Takashi is upstairs studying."

"Has he left the room at all?" She let out a small laugh.

Kimiko shook her head as she headed for the stairs, "Not really but it is finals."

"Trust me I'm exhausted I know." Hoshiko headed for their room. She really was tired, doing a tour while studying for finals and completing them online was killer, as well as dealing with a few meetings at her company. When she opened the door she saw Takashi asleep at the desk his head on a theory of law book and smiled. Quietly walking over to him she placed a kiss on his cheek. She watched as his eyes fluttered open catching sight of her and he smiled pulling her down onto his lap.

"You're home." He wrapped his arms around her.

"I am." She laughed, "I missed you."

"I missed you too." He pressed his lips to hers, "How was the tour?"

"It was good, got to see Haruhi and Tamaki. They seem to be settling into Boston pretty well." She smiled up at him, "Tamaki misses you."

"I'll see him in a month." He ran his thumb over her cheek.

She nuzzles closer to his chest while reaching for his book, "Is it interesting?"

"Mmhmm." He rests his cheek on her head.

"That's good." She held back a yawn.

"Tired?" He asked but before she could answer he stood carrying her to the bed. Takashi lifted the covers and placed her on the bed, lying behind her, wrapping his arms around her. Running his finger over the ring on her hand he asked, "Are you sure you're ready?"

"I've been ready since the day you asked." She smiled.

He kissed the back of her neck, "Me too."

* * *

"Ma'am there's someone here to see you." The intercom on her desk went off.

"Let them in." Hoshiko smiled and looked up to see Kyoya coming through the door, "Congratulations on graduating."

"I have brought you my resume." He said handing her a file with a smile on his face.

She flipped open the file, "Kyoya Ootori, you're hired. You'll be taking over as director of finances here in Japan. We'll keep you there for a year or so to make sure you have a handle on everything. For future reference we would like to know where you see yourself in five years, Director of the Japanese or Korean branch."

"Where ever would be the best fit for me. But I would prefer to stay in Japan." He smiled at her.

"Very well." She stood and offered him her hand, "We're delighted to be working with you Mr. Ootori. If you have any questions or concerns then you can bring them to me."

Kyoya had heard what she said but had been distracted by her very pregnant stomach, "Hoshiko…"

She looked down with a bit of her laugh, "Yeah I'm only five months along. They're going to be as big as their father…"

" _They're_?" He asked. He knew she was pregnant but he didn't expect this when he saw her.

"Twins. They run on my side of the family. Boy and a girl." She nodded slowly, "If I get much bigger I might kill someone but at least Takashi takes care of me and I'm not performing anytime soon."

"You're still performing?" He asked as they both sat down in the office.

"Yeah, but lately I've just been composing and writing for other artists." She rested a hand on her stomach, "Creating it was the part I always enjoyed the most and it's nice to see what other artists do with it."

"Are you going to go back after you have them?"

"Maybe, I'm not sure yet it depends on a lot of things." She looked out the window, "I've sort of gotten used to this office and it's pretty easy running all three branches from here. And once you make it up the ladder I'll have less to worry about since there will only be one Acting Director left."

"Glad to be of service." Kyoya smiled.

"How'd your dad take the news?"

"He'd been expecting it and he didn't say he was disappointed so that's the only approval I'm getting." She smiled at him and nodded her head.

"Get ready, life in the entertainment industry is a wild one. You handled the Host Club so I know you can handle this."

* * *

All the hosts were there for Christmas dinner and they all laughed and smiled with each other. Tamaki and Haruhi had their new baby with them, Takashi and Hoshikos kids were playing with the wrapping paper, Honey and his wife were sitting on a single person chair together, the twins were laughing watching the baby twins, and Kyoya was sipping his tea talking with everyone.

Takashi picked up his twins with one arm each and brought them over to the dinner table, his son with green eyes and black hair and his daughter with brown hair and grey eyes, as dinner was almost ready.

Haruhi came and sat neck to Hoshiko who was sipping hot chocolate, "When are you due?"

"Mid July." Hoshiko smiled.

"Are you not going to release your own songs anymore then?" Haruhi looked at her, "I know you said that even with Takashi you found it hard with the kids, the company, and recording."

"I might still do it but I doubt I'll tour until their older again." She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her kids, "Hiroki took his first steps last week and Naomi is already using two word sentences. I don't want to miss that because I'm in America or Europe. Plus I've gotten really good at the companies with Kyoya and Chairman Flowers help."

"As long as you're happy." Haruhi smiled at her.

Hoshiko smiled back tickling her friend's baby's chin, "I am. What about you?"

"Couldn't be happier." Haruhi answered, "Oh where's Kimiko?"

"Studying abroad." She had a proud smile on her face, "She wants to be a doctor."

"Wow." Haruhi laughed, "And I thought I was crazy for law school."

"Dinner." Tamaki sang to everyone and they all piled around the table.

After dinner everyone had left and the twins were asleep in bed Takashi and Hoshiko were laying on the couch together by the fire. He had his hand placed on her stomach and she was nuzzled into his chest. He leaned down giving her a kiss on the forehead and when she looked up at him with a smile he gave her a kiss on the lips, "Are you sure you won't miss travelling?"

"I always miss you and the kids more." She put her head back on his chest, "You're stuck with me, because I'm not leaving Japan any time soon."

"I'm alright with that." He held her his wife closer to him.

Seven years ago she was in America with her father. She didn't want to come back to Japan after he died, but she had tried to find the bright side of it, had she known it was this, she wouldn't have hated it so much.

~Fin


End file.
